Poll law ‘racist’: Horizons votes to keep Māori seats

Horizons Regional Council staff and councillors come out to receive a hīkoi advocating for Māori seats in Palmerston North in 2021. Photo / Moana Ellis
Horizons Regional Council has voted to keep its Māori constituencies, with the chair and deputy chair describing new legislation to force binding public polls as racist.
Manawatū-Whanganui regional councillors in Palmerston North on Tuesday affirmed their two Māori constituencies for the 2025 election.
The decision means a binding poll will be held at the same election, asking voters if they wish to retain the constituencies.
The Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards/Constituencies) Amendment Act – which Horizons opposed – requires all councils with Māori seats to make a choice: either run a binding poll about the future of Māori wards at the 2025 local government elections or dissolve the constituencies at the 2025 elections.
Deputy chair Jono Naylor said the value of the council’s two Māori constituencies spoke for itself.
“Our understanding around this table over the last almost two years has grown because of the presence of Te Kenehi [Teira] and Jim [Edmonds] at our table. We’re all the better for that.”
But he was deeply concerned that the decision would force a binding poll.
“I’m really disturbed by that – the actual racist nature of the legislation that makes us do that.
“We don’t have to have binding polls about any of our other constituencies. We just pick on the Māori one. If there was to be a poll, the only people who should be polled would be those on the Māori roll to decide for themselves if that’s how they want to do it.”
Naylor said the issue was not about treating everyone the same but about seeking equal outcomes.
“If we want Māori to prosper and have the same outcomes as non-Māori then sometimes we’ve got to do things a little bit differently.
“This is the right thing to do and our region is better if we keep following that path.”
Chair Rachel Keedwell said she was incensed by Government changes to Māori ward and constituency rules.
“I take the description of the legislation as being racist one step further.
“Not only do we not need a binding poll on any other type of constituency, but we don’t need one if we choose to disestablish the Māori constituencies. We only need it if we are choosing to establish it. That’s very one-directional.
“If there is any way we can find not to hold a poll, I will support that.”
Keedwell highlighted “the hypocrisy coming down from central government, interfering in how we choose to set our own representation arrangements”.
Her inbox was full of emails from people pleading for the Māori constituencies to not be disestablished because it would require a poll that would waste ratepayers’ money.
“Where’s their letter to central government who is telling us to spend the money? They’ve put legislation on us to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. This legislation makes us spend that money.”
Councillor Wiremu Te Awe Awe said the council was “damned if we do, damned if we don’t”.
“No one else in the country has to jump through the hoops that Māori have to jump through.”
Councillor Alan Taylor said the new legislation flew in the face of fairness and natural justice.
“This process is about the right thing to do. Some of the criticism has been that [Māori constituencies] are not democratic. But democracy has changed.”
If it had not, no women or Māori would be in the room, nor others because of their “social standing”.
“Democracy has changed for the better. If we don’t retain the representation from our treaty partners, it will be a 150-year step backwards.”
Keedwell said many councillors spoke about their frustration at the Act, including the additional costs it put on ratepayers.
It is estimated a referendum will cost about $130,000.
Keedwell said various iwi and hapū in the region had signalled they wanted Māori constituencies to stay.
The council’s decision and the result of next year’s poll would not change other mechanisms in which Māori, iwi and hapū could participate and work in partnership with Horizons, she said.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.