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The number of reserved seats for Māori representatives on New Zealand councils will be slashed by over 50%, following a controversial law change that forced municipal councils to put the future of hard-won Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which can include multiple councillors based on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the choice to elect a guaranteed Indigenous council member in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils were only able to create a Māori ward by initially putting it to a community referendum in their area. Communities often devoted considerable time building local support and pushing their local governments to create Indigenous representation.

Legislative Shifts and Administrative Decisions

To address this concern, the former administration permitted local councils to establish a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to subject it to a public vote.

However, this year, the right-wing coalition government reversed the change, stating communities ought to determine whether to introduce Indigenous representation.

Voting Outcomes

The coalition’s law change required councils that had created a ward under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which ended on October 11. Of 42 councils taking part in the public vote, 17 decided to keep their wards, and 25 to abolish theirs – revealing many regions against reserved Indigenous seats.

These outcomes provided “a crucial move in reinstating community self-determination.”

Critics nevertheless have condemned the government’s law change as “racist” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the coalition government has implemented extensive reversals to policies intended to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it wants to terminate “race-based” approaches, and says it is committed to enhancing results for Māori and every citizen.

Geographical Splits

Outcomes of the public votes were split down urban-rural lines – six of the seven urban centers required to vote backed Indigenous seats, while rural regions skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Indigenous seats that had recently been established – they’re just beginning to find their footing.”

Voter Turnout and Concerns

This year’s municipal polls recorded the lowest voter turnout in 36 years, with less than a third of eligible voters casting a vote, prompting calls for an overhaul.

The process had been “a farce”.

Comparative Treatment

Councils are permitted to create different electoral districts – including countryside seats – without first requiring a community ballot. The different conditions applied to Indigenous representation suggested the government was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

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

This remark referred to the 17 regions that voted to retain their wards.