Post by Kiwi Frontline on Apr 29, 2024 9:19:38 GMT 12
Mike Butler: TAURANGA WANTS FAIRNESS ON MAORI WARDS.
(Excerpts)
Six thousand Tauranga citizens who petitioned in 2021 for a vote on a proposed Maori ward want some fair treatment over such a ward that is currently being imposed on Tauranga.
These citizens feel aggrieved that their local election in July 2024 features such a ward without a vote even though the right to vote on such wards is being restored.
And it looks like that Maori ward will stay in place for six years, until 2030, long after other councils have had referenda on or disestablished their Maori wards.....
.......Mahuta’s line in 2021 was that votes on Maori wards were racist.
But 20 years earlier, as part of Helen Clark’s government, she spoke in support of petitions and votes on Maori as the Local Electoral Act 2001 bill was before Parliament.....
.....The Tauranga council could reverse its decision on the Maori ward but a Tauranga council has to be elected first, and a new Maori ward is part of the set-up that is being elected.
It looks unlikely that a new council would immediately dump a newly elected Maori ward councillor.
Bear in mind, nothing can change until the law is changed and the coalition government appears to have no sense of urgency about changing this particular law.
It took Mahuta and the last government 25 days to outlaw petitions and votes on Maori wards.
If the coalition had the same sense of urgency about restoring the right to petition and vote, the law would be changed today......
Read Mike’s full article here breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2024/04/mike-butler-tauranga-wants-fairness-on.html
(Excerpts)
Six thousand Tauranga citizens who petitioned in 2021 for a vote on a proposed Maori ward want some fair treatment over such a ward that is currently being imposed on Tauranga.
These citizens feel aggrieved that their local election in July 2024 features such a ward without a vote even though the right to vote on such wards is being restored.
And it looks like that Maori ward will stay in place for six years, until 2030, long after other councils have had referenda on or disestablished their Maori wards.....
.......Mahuta’s line in 2021 was that votes on Maori wards were racist.
But 20 years earlier, as part of Helen Clark’s government, she spoke in support of petitions and votes on Maori as the Local Electoral Act 2001 bill was before Parliament.....
.....The Tauranga council could reverse its decision on the Maori ward but a Tauranga council has to be elected first, and a new Maori ward is part of the set-up that is being elected.
It looks unlikely that a new council would immediately dump a newly elected Maori ward councillor.
Bear in mind, nothing can change until the law is changed and the coalition government appears to have no sense of urgency about changing this particular law.
It took Mahuta and the last government 25 days to outlaw petitions and votes on Maori wards.
If the coalition had the same sense of urgency about restoring the right to petition and vote, the law would be changed today......
Read Mike’s full article here breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2024/04/mike-butler-tauranga-wants-fairness-on.html