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The count of guaranteed positions for Māori representatives on NZ councils will be slashed by over 50%, following a controversial legislative amendment that required municipal councils to submit the fate of hard-earned Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have one or more councillors based on demographic data, were established in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the option to vote for a guaranteed Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments were only able to establish a Indigenous seat by first putting it to a public vote in their region. Communities often spent years building community backing and pushing their councils to create Indigenous representation.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the former administration permitted local councils to set up a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to subject it to a public vote.

But in 2024, the current administration reversed the change, saying local residents ought to determine whether to establish Indigenous representation.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation required local authorities that had established a ward under Labour’s rules to conduct decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 voted to retain their wards, and 25 to disestablish theirs – revealing many regions against guaranteed Māori representation.

The results represented “a vital step in reinstating community self-determination.”

Critics however have condemned the government’s law change as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the coalition government has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to measures designed to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has said it wants to end “race-based” policies, and says it is dedicated to enhancing results for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

The results of the referendums were split down city-country divisions – six of the seven cities mandated to hold referendums supported Māori wards, while rural regions leaned strongly towards disestablishing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Indigenous seats that had only just come in – they’re just beginning to find their footing.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

This year’s local government elections registered the lowest voter turnout in over three decades, with less than a third of citizens participating, prompting demands for reform.

This approach had been “a mockery”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are permitted to create different wards – including countryside seats – without initially mandating a community ballot. The different conditions applied to Indigenous representation indicated the government was targeting Māori representation.

“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Numerous localities have given the government a middle finger response.”

This remark concerned the 17 regions that chose to keep their wards.