Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
The mayor of Whanganui has done an about turn on Māori wards.
Andrew Tripe on Tuesday voted in favour of establishing two Māori wards seats in the district, reversing the choice he made in October, and coming into line with the majority of councillors.
Tripe told councillors today that although he had reservations about the limitations of Māori wards the coalition government's move to re-impose binding polls on their creation had influenced his decision.
"It might be a paradox that I did though vote against Māori wards at the time," he said. "But we made a decision as a council to vote for Māori wards and I want to honour our local democracy.
"I want to honour what we actually said we would do ... and we decided as a collective that we would vote for Māori wards. And I'd rather do that, rather than be instructed by central government about what we can and can't do. And for me, that prevails."
Tripe had the backing of most councillors.
Councillor Charlotte Melser said her position in favour of Māori wards should not surprise anyone.
"I look forward to the nearly third of our district's population with Māori descent being better and more fairly represented at multiple levels of decision making.
"I believe the best way to achieve this direction right now is through the implementation of Māori ward seat. Sorry, I'll clarify that, two Māori ward seats. It is currently the best option we have in a system that has not historically benefited Māori."
Councillor Josh Chandulal-Mackay took aim at what he described as government over-reach.
"I'm actually pretty disappointed and quite angry, frankly, to be to be sitting here today relitigating this issue ... I am deeply disappointed that we have had what I consider to be an ideological imposition put on us by the government over this issue.
"No other ward, no other geographical ward, has provision for a binding poll available. This is discriminatory, and it makes me deeply uncomfortable."
Chandulal-Mackay said the poll would cost the ratepayers at least $45,000, a bill that was being multiplied at councils across the country.
But not all councillors were in favour of Māori wards.
Councillor Charlie Anderson did not think they would make things better for Māori.
"Sadly, I believe the reverse is true. I don't believe the majority of Māori want this either, and the ongoing community pushback is just too much."
He said plenty of Māori candidates had stood successfully in the past in general seats.
"Just like any ethnicity, all they have to do a stand, and Māori will vote for them, but they don't seem to do that anymore, which is kind of sad. This is clearly race-based politics, therefore racist in my view. I do not support Māori wards."
Councillor Rob Vinsen was also not convinced.
"What I'm concerned about is all this discussion about discrimination and things that are going on, but nearly half of those who consider themselves Māori don't choose to go on the Māori roll, 47 percent go on the general roll. Isn't there a message in that?"
Vinsen said council had also not received a submission on Māori wards from Whanganui's Tupoho iwi.
"So, I will vote against this on the same basis that I voted before. Six years ago, when we went through the same process, Tupoho did not want Māori wards. They expressed that, their leaders expressed that. Nothing has changed."
The decision or not to have Māori ward seats would now go to a binding poll to be held in conjunction with the 2025 local body elections.
The outcome of that referendum would take effect for the 2028 and 2031 local body elections
