OPINION: Amid the intense debate surrounding the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill, Auckland Council’s first wahine Māori councillor, Kerrin Leoni, says a big part of the conversation is still missing.
Important discussions are again taking place centred on Māori wards – and the question of whether Aotearoa councils need specific processes in place to ensure Māori have a voice in regional decision-making.
The government has proposed a bill to reinstate former overturned rules that will require public polls to establish Māori wards. Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Council opposes the proposed Bill, which could significantly alter the council’s ability to make democratic decisions regarding Auckland’s future.
Recently, I had the opportunity to join my colleague, councillor Alf Filipaina, in presenting Auckland Council’s submission against this proposal to the Justice select committee on June 4, 2024.
The bill mandates councils with newly established Māori wards to disestablish them, necessitating costly public polls to retain them (which will ultimately result in an additional cost to ratepayers). Moreover, it introduces the possibility of public veto on any future Māori ward. This absolutely undermines the authority local councils have to represent their communities effectively.
The reinstatement of polls poses a substantial financial burden on councils – at a likely cost of $3.5 million for each poll. Auckland Council has already conducted public consultations for our Long-term Plan, and we have not budgeted for these potential unforeseen costs. Under the existing Local Electoral Act 2001, councils have the authority to decide on Māori representation through consultation with both Māori and the wider public. In September 2023, Auckland Council debated the introduction of Māori seats for the 2025 local elections, ultimately deciding against it after seeking public feedback.
By proposing these changes, it seems that central government either lacks confidence in our consultation processes or disregards the progress painstakingly made by local councils in ensuring Māori representation at the table, at the expense of ratepayers.
While we support amendments to the Local Electoral Regulations Act aimed at reducing risks to the postal system, we strongly oppose the poll provisions in the proposed Bill. The existing legislation already provides a more cost-effective and democratic approach to establishing Māori wards.
I urge you to voice your opinion if you haven’t already and ensure that Auckland Council isn’t cornered into unnecessary expenses that could cost ratepayers millions.
Kerrin Leoni is a first-term councillor for Auckland Council’s Whau Ward, and the first wahine Māori to be elected since the start of the ‘supercity’.