Labour MP Kieran McAnulty said it was “utterly shameful” to abolish Maori electorates.

Wairarapa Labor MP Kieran McAnulty said race was the sole motivation for the amendment to the Local Elections Act.
photo: RNZ/Angus Drever

The future of the Masterton Maori precinct will be discussed this week.

Last week, the Māori electorate bill received its second reading in parliament, with Wairarapa Labor MP Kieran McAnulty slamming the bill as “utterly disgraceful”.

On the other hand, National Party Local Government Minister Simeon Brown said the bill “strengthens our local democracy by restoring voting in Māori districts and Māori electorates”.

“The new bill requires councils to hold a binding vote at the 2025 local election if no vote was held when establishing a Māori electorate, and adjusts the statutory timeframe for local elections to allow more time for ballot papers to be delivered by post.”

Masterton District Council voted to establish a Māori district in 2021, allowing it to continue to contest the 2022 and 2025 elections.

Marama Tuuta was elected unopposed as the first representative of the district.

Recent changes to the Local Elections Act 2001 require local councils to decide to withdraw their Māori electorates by September 6 this year, or hold a binding vote at next year’s election.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, elected councillors can vote to either negotiate the dissolution of the wāori district at the 2025 election, or retain the wāori district for the 2025 election and hold a binding vote.

The poll will cost $35,000.

A report to elected members said the council had already engaged with governing members of four local tribal entities who did not support the amendments to the bill.

“All four entities expressed support for a binding parliamentary vote at the next election,” the report said.

Mr McNulty said the Coalition Government had put councils like Masterton in a “dilemma” because of the huge costs of holding a referendum.

“Given the financial difficulties facing councils and taxpayers, this is the last thing they need.”

Speaking in parliament last week, McAnulty said race was the only motivation behind the bill.

“It’s just so embarrassing,” he said.

He said the establishment of Māori precincts added an important perspective to local democracy.

“Speaker Kidd mentioned that the reason we cannot say MPs are racist is because we are lucky to live in a country where there are no political parties with racist platforms.

“The question I’m left with at the end of this speech is: Is that still true? Is that still the truth? I think when you look at the basis of this bill, it’s not.”

In his rebuttal, ACT MP Simon Court said the bill the Coalition was amending was rushed too quickly, having received royal assent less than a month after being introduced.

“This is a dismantling of our democracy,” he said.

“We are now having to have a very unfortunate conversation about racial division that was forced upon us by the last Labor government.”

South Wairarapa District Council voted last year to create a Māori district for the 2025 and 2028 elections and has yet to discuss next steps.

Carterton District Council voted last year not to establish a Maori precinct so will not be affected by the change in government.

– LDR is a local news organisation jointly funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.