Post by Kiwi Frontline on Jun 11, 2021 10:57:58 GMT 12
John Robinson: MAORI WARDS - A CORRUPTION OF DEMOCRACY
The removal of a democratic right
We no longer can have a say on the manner in which our local community is governed, on voting rights for local councils.
Until this year, separate representation by race has been allowed: Maori wards and constituencies establish areas where only those on the Maori Parliamentary electoral roll vote for the representatives. But ratepayers could insist on a binding referendum when Maori wards were proposed. These are not wanted; significant majorities are opposed to Maori wards. Polls indicated 60% opposed in the Western Bay of Plenty, 63% opposed in Palmerston North and 63% opposed in Manawatu. When binding referenda were held in five municipalities, all opposed race-based Maori wards; those voting against were 80% of ratepayers in Kaikoua, 78% in Western Bay of Plenty, 77% in Manawatu, 69% in Palmerston North and 56.4% in Whakatane.[1]
The public have since been shut out.
In February 2021, Parliament passed a change in the law denying ratepayers the right to call for any such referendum. The Local Electoral (Maori Wards and Maori Constituencies) Amendment Bill[2] amended the Local Electoral Act 2001 by removing provisions that previously allowed binding polls in the decision to establish Maori wards or constituencies. It removed the use of binding polls in decisions about whether a local district or region should be divided into multiple Maori wards or constituencies.
The Bill noted that previous law had allowed “the decision of an elected council to introduce a Maori ward to be overturned by a local poll. Just 5 per cent of support is needed for a poll to be demanded.” This Government has refused to accept such direct democratic involvement, because they don’t like or accept the opinion of the puobllic. “Polls have proven to be an almost insurmountable barrier to councils trying to improve the democratic representation of Maori interests. This process is fundamentally unfair to Maori.” Never mind that removal of a democratic right, which had been clearly expressed on many occasions, is unfair to the rest of us, race-defined, citizens.
The very existence of separate race-based (remember that in New Zealand law, “a Maori is a member of the Maori race”) voting and representation is divisive and in no way justified or acceptable......
breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2021/06/john-robinson-maori-wards-corruption-of.html
The removal of a democratic right
We no longer can have a say on the manner in which our local community is governed, on voting rights for local councils.
Until this year, separate representation by race has been allowed: Maori wards and constituencies establish areas where only those on the Maori Parliamentary electoral roll vote for the representatives. But ratepayers could insist on a binding referendum when Maori wards were proposed. These are not wanted; significant majorities are opposed to Maori wards. Polls indicated 60% opposed in the Western Bay of Plenty, 63% opposed in Palmerston North and 63% opposed in Manawatu. When binding referenda were held in five municipalities, all opposed race-based Maori wards; those voting against were 80% of ratepayers in Kaikoua, 78% in Western Bay of Plenty, 77% in Manawatu, 69% in Palmerston North and 56.4% in Whakatane.[1]
The public have since been shut out.
In February 2021, Parliament passed a change in the law denying ratepayers the right to call for any such referendum. The Local Electoral (Maori Wards and Maori Constituencies) Amendment Bill[2] amended the Local Electoral Act 2001 by removing provisions that previously allowed binding polls in the decision to establish Maori wards or constituencies. It removed the use of binding polls in decisions about whether a local district or region should be divided into multiple Maori wards or constituencies.
The Bill noted that previous law had allowed “the decision of an elected council to introduce a Maori ward to be overturned by a local poll. Just 5 per cent of support is needed for a poll to be demanded.” This Government has refused to accept such direct democratic involvement, because they don’t like or accept the opinion of the puobllic. “Polls have proven to be an almost insurmountable barrier to councils trying to improve the democratic representation of Maori interests. This process is fundamentally unfair to Maori.” Never mind that removal of a democratic right, which had been clearly expressed on many occasions, is unfair to the rest of us, race-defined, citizens.
The very existence of separate race-based (remember that in New Zealand law, “a Maori is a member of the Maori race”) voting and representation is divisive and in no way justified or acceptable......
breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2021/06/john-robinson-maori-wards-corruption-of.html