Kerrin Leoni is bracing herself for an increasing level of sexism and racism if she wins the Auckland mayoralty.
Leoni told The Hui host Julian Wilcox she was shocked when she returned to Aotearoa New Zealand after living in the United Kingdom for 10 years.
“When I came back, I couldn’t believe the sexism and the racism that we have in this country.”
She believed it was also a ‘huge’ factor in the campaign.
“People just haven’t believed that I would even actually have a chance of winning because I’m a woman and because I’m a Māori woman,” says Leoni.
Leoni described Auckland’s ethnic communities as the biggest swing voters in the city.
But she reckons 70 percent of people in the city don’t even know there’s a local body election underway.
Just days out from polling day on Saturday, Leoni described the level of awareness as ‘really sad’.
Leoni told Wilcox she would like to see Māori wards introduced for the Auckland council to boost awareness.
“If we had Māori wards, you’d get a lot more Māori that would be interested in local government,” says Leoni.
Currently, the Auckland council does not have Māori wards. Instead, it has Houkura (the Independent Statutory Māori Board) members who sit on council committees.
“But all of that decision-making feeds up to the governing body where I currently sit. And Māori need to be there. They need to be representing Māori,”
“We have got the biggest Māori population in our city and we should have Māori sitting at the top table,” says Leoni.
Leoni cited the Far North, which does have local wards. She believed the wards created a connection to Māori voters, driving a high voter turnout, which she said was close to 50 percent.
Voters for more than 40 local and regional councils will be asked whether they want to retain Māori wards, but the Auckland council is not required to hold a referendum.
Postal voting closes Tuesday, October 7. Votes can be dropped off at collection points, such as supermarkets, until midday on Saturday, October 11.
Made with support from Te Māngai Pāho and New Zealand on Air.
