Post by Kiwi Frontline on Mar 2, 2021 12:05:53 GMT 12
Otago Daily Times 2/3/21
TREATY PARTNERSHIP
I am not surprised that Dame Claudia Orange declined to respond when asked to back up her assertion that the Treaty is a Crown/Maori ‘partnership’ (letters 26.2.21).
The fact is, it is constitutionally impossible for the Crown to enter into a partnership with any of it's subjects’ - Article 3 of the treaty gave to Maori the rights of British subjects, which put signatories under political control of the Queen, hence no partnership.
Dame Claudia should hang her head in shame for misleading gullible New Zealanders.
GEOFF PARKER, Whangarei
Northland Age 2/3/21
A NEW PLAYING FIELD
Joel Maxwell writes that no one will be oppressed by Maori Wards (Stuff February 11).
He says - “binding polls can’t be triggered by the community to overturn decisions on other types of ward.” Correct, but other wards are geographical and do not change the voting system. Changing ward boundaries or splitting a ward is one thing and happens at every council representation review. Many councils have wards based on geography, because property services and community facilities are community based. Tinkering with the wards does not change the voting system. There is still one electoral roll and one voting system. Creating Maori wards is another thing entirely. It divides the electoral roll by race so only Maori can vote for Maori and non-Maori can only vote for those standing in the general seats.
Instead of levelling the playing field Maori wards creates a new playing field with new rules and is a constitutional change to the way local politicians are elected. Put simply, the right of veto that exists to protect the public when the rulers go changing the rules by which they are elected.
He says – “Maori wards reduce unfairness”. Maori wards are not fair for Maori or non-Maori. Maori are not a single entity. A district or regional council area may have 10 or 20 or more iwi each with their own tikanga, each wanting status around the decision making table. Having one, two or a few Maori seats on Council will not satisfy that multitude of interests. A majority of Maori will still feel disenfranchised. And how is it fair on non-Maori when they will not be able to vote for the Maori making decision that affect them, like rating?
He says - “unhappy voters can kick out councillors at the next election”. Well, no. Voters unhappy with the decisions the Maori ward councillors make will have no recourse - they can't vote them out of office because they don't vote them in.
The irony is that Maori are already fairly represented on councils. The account for 13.5 percent of councillors which is consistent with the 2018 census showing Maori as 13.7 percent of the adult population. There is no under-representation, but Maori now want to occupy the general seats and the soon to be created Maori seats. What's fair about that?
He says - “the ease by which the majority of voters are scared off Māori wards by a vocal few.” Past polls show that those “vocal few” number 75% of New Zealanders.
Lastly he says - “nobody will be oppressed when Maori wards are inevitably adopted on a widespread basis”. If Maori wards are widely adopted, what we will see is radical Maori getting a free pass around the council table and gaining the power to rate and regulate non-Maori as they wish. No doubt the Joel Maxwell ilk harbouring images of colonial wrong doing would say ‘thumbs up’ to that.
GEOFF PARKER, Kamo
www.kiwifrontline.nz/media/letters-to-the-editor
TREATY PARTNERSHIP
I am not surprised that Dame Claudia Orange declined to respond when asked to back up her assertion that the Treaty is a Crown/Maori ‘partnership’ (letters 26.2.21).
The fact is, it is constitutionally impossible for the Crown to enter into a partnership with any of it's subjects’ - Article 3 of the treaty gave to Maori the rights of British subjects, which put signatories under political control of the Queen, hence no partnership.
Dame Claudia should hang her head in shame for misleading gullible New Zealanders.
GEOFF PARKER, Whangarei
Northland Age 2/3/21
A NEW PLAYING FIELD
Joel Maxwell writes that no one will be oppressed by Maori Wards (Stuff February 11).
He says - “binding polls can’t be triggered by the community to overturn decisions on other types of ward.” Correct, but other wards are geographical and do not change the voting system. Changing ward boundaries or splitting a ward is one thing and happens at every council representation review. Many councils have wards based on geography, because property services and community facilities are community based. Tinkering with the wards does not change the voting system. There is still one electoral roll and one voting system. Creating Maori wards is another thing entirely. It divides the electoral roll by race so only Maori can vote for Maori and non-Maori can only vote for those standing in the general seats.
Instead of levelling the playing field Maori wards creates a new playing field with new rules and is a constitutional change to the way local politicians are elected. Put simply, the right of veto that exists to protect the public when the rulers go changing the rules by which they are elected.
He says – “Maori wards reduce unfairness”. Maori wards are not fair for Maori or non-Maori. Maori are not a single entity. A district or regional council area may have 10 or 20 or more iwi each with their own tikanga, each wanting status around the decision making table. Having one, two or a few Maori seats on Council will not satisfy that multitude of interests. A majority of Maori will still feel disenfranchised. And how is it fair on non-Maori when they will not be able to vote for the Maori making decision that affect them, like rating?
He says - “unhappy voters can kick out councillors at the next election”. Well, no. Voters unhappy with the decisions the Maori ward councillors make will have no recourse - they can't vote them out of office because they don't vote them in.
The irony is that Maori are already fairly represented on councils. The account for 13.5 percent of councillors which is consistent with the 2018 census showing Maori as 13.7 percent of the adult population. There is no under-representation, but Maori now want to occupy the general seats and the soon to be created Maori seats. What's fair about that?
He says - “the ease by which the majority of voters are scared off Māori wards by a vocal few.” Past polls show that those “vocal few” number 75% of New Zealanders.
Lastly he says - “nobody will be oppressed when Maori wards are inevitably adopted on a widespread basis”. If Maori wards are widely adopted, what we will see is radical Maori getting a free pass around the council table and gaining the power to rate and regulate non-Maori as they wish. No doubt the Joel Maxwell ilk harbouring images of colonial wrong doing would say ‘thumbs up’ to that.
GEOFF PARKER, Kamo
www.kiwifrontline.nz/media/letters-to-the-editor