Whaleoil Policy on Maori Seats on the Supercity Council
Albany council candidate and blogger Cameron Slater is in favour of a binding referendum on Maori seats for the super city council.
Mr Slater says “The provisions of the Local Electoral Act 2001 allow for a territorial authority to hold a referendum on the issue of Maori seats. In line with my policy on transparency I want to put the question to the citizens of Auckland, rather than have it instituted in a closed room by diktat from a small number of politicians.”
The Local Electoral Act 2001 provides a mechanism for specifically creating reserved Maori seats. At any time, if five per cent of the eligible voting population in a local authority area sign a petition calling for Maori seats – or if the council itself votes to introduce Maori seats – a poll on the issue must be held within a specified timeframe under a well-defined process.
That provision under the Act is suitably weaselly that a small group of just 13 people could force something upon the citizens of Auckland.
There are arguments for both having Maori Seats and not having Maori Seats, which a referendum will thoroughly canvass, allowing the population to make up their mind on the merits of the argument. For such a major constitutional change thorough and prolonged discussion is fair and sensible.
A temporary measure of Maori seats introduced to parliament in 1867 is still present. The precedent is for even temporary constitutional changes to become permanent, so this kind of decision requires thorough discussion among all New Zealanders, not just a chosen few sitting around a council table.
The binding referendum should be held in conjunction with the general election in 2011, giving a firm decision in time for the 2013 local body elections.
All serious candidates should declare now, up front before the voting ratepayers whether or not they support Maori seats in the new Auckland council, that way we can vote appropriately. We need politicians to be unequivocal.
My position has always been clear. I would say no to Maori seats on the council. But it shouldn’t be about just my position. Len Brown won’t say just points at his record, which is….oh that’s right nothing, he never brought in Maori seats in Manukau. John Banks has been clear all along. Time for the others to declare so that we know what councilors may do if the issue was put before the new council. The voter need transparency and they need trust, not weasel words.
