The Government’s plans to bring back the right to local referendums for introducing Māori council wards will be subject to an urgent inquiry at the Waitangi Tribunal.
Claimant evidence and opening submissions are due today, with the Crown’s evidence and opening submissions due on Friday.
The previous government passed legislation allowing councils to make the final decision on whether to establish Māori wards for their city or district.
The law change stripped a provision that previously allowed local communities to veto Māori wards by holding a referendum. Before that provision was removed, 24 councils attempted to establish Māori wards, but only three were successful.
Under the old laws, signatures from 5% of local voters would be enough to trigger a binding poll on the issue.
Restoring the right to local referendums on the establishment of Māori wards was a commitment under both the ACT and NZ First coalition agreements with National.
Simeon Brown in November 2023 (file image). (Source: Supplied/Doug Mountain)
Last month, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown said councils that established wards without referendums would be required to hold binding polls in 2025.
Waitangi Tribunal claimants will have until May 14 to reply to the Crown and their closing submissions. The inquiry will be conducted on the papers.
An application for urgency on the Government’s Māori wards changes was filed by Te Raukura O’Connell Rapira and Anne Waapu.
“By taking our claim to the Waitangi Tribunal, we’re exercising one of the few legal avenues available to us as Māori to hold our Treaty partners to account for their bad behavior and broken promises,” O’Connell Rapira said in a media release .
It’s sparked outrage from the organization representing local councils, as Political Editor Maiki Sherman explains.
“In the past few years, Aotearoa has gone from having three councils with Māori wards to 49 councils that either have them, or will have them at the 2025 local elections.
“This incredible progress towards a more participatory and inclusive democracy that better reflects our Tiriti partnership was made possible because thousands of everyday people took action to abolish a 100-plus year old discriminatory law that blocked Māori wards from being established in the first place.”
