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The number of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils is set to be cut by over 50%, following a controversial legislative amendment that required municipal councils to put the fate of hard-earned Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which can include one or more elected officials based on demographic data, were established in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the choice to elect a assured Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, local governments were only able to create a Indigenous seat by initially putting it to a public vote in their region. Communities often spent years building community backing and pushing their local governments to establish Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government permitted municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to subject it to a public vote.

But in 2024, the current administration overturned the policy, saying communities should decide whether to establish Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The coalition’s law change mandated local authorities that had created a electoral district under Labour’s rules to hold binding referendums alongside the municipal polls, which ended on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments taking part in the public vote, 17 decided to retain their seats, and 25 to disestablish theirs – showing many regions against reserved Indigenous seats.

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

Critics however have condemned the new policy as “racist” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the coalition government has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to policies intended to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it wants to terminate “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Māori and every citizen.

Urban-Rural Divide

Outcomes of the referendums were divided down urban-rural lines – most urban centers mandated to hold referendums backed Indigenous seats, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards disestablishing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Māori wards that had only just come in – they’re just beginning to hit their stride.”

Voter Turnout and Concerns

The recent municipal polls registered the smallest electoral participation in over three decades, with less than a third of eligible voters casting a vote, leading to calls for an overhaul.

The process had been “a mockery”.

Differential Standards

Local governments are permitted to create different electoral districts – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a community ballot. The different conditions placed on Māori wards indicated the administration was targeting Indigenous inclusion.

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

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