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The count of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils is set to be slashed by over 50%, following a controversial law change that forced local governments to submit the fate of hard-won Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which can include multiple councillors depending on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the option to vote for a guaranteed Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, councils could only establish a Māori ward by initially putting it to a public vote in their area. Communities frequently spent years building community backing and urging their councils to create Indigenous representation.

Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions

To address this concern, the former administration allowed local councils to set up a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to put it to a popular ballot.

However, this year, the current administration overturned the policy, saying communities should decide whether to establish Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The new legislation mandated councils that had created a electoral district under Labour’s rules to hold decisive public votes concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments taking part in the referendum, 17 voted to keep their wards, and 25 to abolish theirs – revealing many regions against guaranteed Māori representation.

These outcomes provided “a crucial move in restoring local democratic control.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have condemned the new policy as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the current administration has implemented sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has stated it aims to end “ethnic-specific” policies, and says it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and every citizen.

Geographical Splits

Outcomes of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven urban centers required to vote backed Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Māori wards that had recently been established – they’re only just starting to find their footing.”

Voter Turnout and Concerns

This year’s local government elections registered the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with under one-third of eligible voters participating, leading to calls for an overhaul.

The process had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Local governments are able to establish different electoral districts – such as rural wards – without initially mandating a public vote. The disparate requirements applied to Māori wards indicated the administration was singling out Māori representation.

“Well, they failed. Numerous localities have expressed strong opposition.”

This statement concerned the 17 regions that chose to keep their seats.