Maori wards on local councils would be abolished, should National and Act form a government on 14 October.
1News reports,
“ACT will repeal race-based Māori wards altogether," ACT Party leader David Seymour said today. He said in repealing the ability for the 5% veto, Labour had repealed a "democratic provision". "Labour removed New Zealanders' democratic voting rights because it believed they couldn't be relied on to vote the right way. "Labour believed binding referendums, where communities could oppose Māori wards' establishment, were an obstacle to more Māori representation." Seymour said that was wrong. "A Local Government New Zealand survey shows Māori make up 13.5% of local representatives, which is very close to their share of the population as a whole. Māori are doing a good job of being elected to councils. There was no problem to solve.”
Chris Luxon confirmed National’s position to 1News,
“We’ve opposed [Labour’s law change] through the course of the last Parliament. We don’t believe that that’s fair or democratic.” Asked for clarification, if that meant Māori wards would be repealed under a National government, he said: “That’s been our view and our position”.
News links
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/08/27/act-pledges-to-repeal-maori-wards-law-change/
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/08/27/maori-wards-law-repeal-likely-under-national-govt-luxon/
