Moving Forward Together - Vote Yes! for Maori Wards

Māori wards in New Zealand have been a big topic in local government. These wards give Māori a dedicated voice in decision-making, similar to Māori electorates in Parliament.

In 2001 the Bay of Plenty Regional Council was the first to set up Māori constituencies. For the years after this, councils needed to hold local referendums, gaining majority support, before creating Māori wards, and these votes usually ended in rejection since the Māori voter turnout was low. I recently found out that councils can establish any wards they like, without a referendum, and it is only Māori wards where a referendum needs to take place. This does not seem democratic to me.

What makes Māori wards so important is that Māori voter turnout tends to be lower than the general population.This isn't because Māori don’t care about politics, but rather due to a deep-seated mistrust in the systems that have been used against Māori for so long. Many feel that voting doesn’t lead to real change, as decisions are often made without truly considering Māori perspectives.

The failure of past governments to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi contribute to this frustration. Instead of engaging through voting, some choose other forms of activism, such as protest or direct involvement in their communities. Over the years the activism has attracted the attention of many non-Māori who have taken the time to understand the issues and have support Māori in gaining the right to representation.