Cam Slater: Voters Want a Say on Maori Wards

A recent Taxpayers’ Union – Curia poll found the majority of New Zealanders in favour of local voters having the final say on the introduction or disestablishment of Maori Wards through a referendum. The results showed that 58 per cent of respondents believe that local voters should be the decision-makers, while only 23 per cent think it should be left to local mayors and councillors. The remaining 19 per cent were unsure.

Commenting on the poll, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, emphasised the importance of letting the people decide on significant changes to the electoral system. He highlighted that voters from various political backgrounds support the idea of local community decision-making through referenda. Even among Labour Party supporters, there was strong backing for local voters having the final say, with a 51 per cent to 25 per cent ratio in favour of this approach.

Molloy criticised the opposition to this proposal:

This poll makes it clear that voters across the political spectrum believe that fundamental changes to the rules of how politicians are elected should be decided by the people, not politicians.

Labour Party MPs, such as Willie Jackson, have been vocal in arguing against this proposal, claiming voters don’t want it. But this poll shows that even among Labour supporters there is strong support for local community decision making via referenda. Labour Party voters were 51% to 25% in favour of local voters having final say on the issue, as were a majority or plurality of voters in all other parties.

The arrogance of some mayors, councillors and LGNZ is staggering. They don’t trust local voters to decide what’s best for them and their communities. The Government can take comfort in knowing that the people of New Zealand are behind them on this issue and should continue working to reverse Labour’s hijacking of local democracy as soon as possible.

Taxpayers’ Union

The poll results indicate that the majority of New Zealanders support empowering local communities and reversing any actions that undermine local democracy.

And it also shows that councillors are out of touch with what Kiwi voters actually want. What is more interesting is that the rednecks in Wellington want to be able to vote, rather than have the council decide for them. Contrary to popular belief it seems that 49 per cent of Wellingtonians are rednecks.

To read the full polling report, click here. It’s clear that the sentiment among New Zealanders is leaning towards giving power back to the people to shape their local governance. Let’s hope that this strong public opinion encourages policymakers to prioritise community voices and uphold the principles of democratic decision-making.

Cam Slater is a New Zealand-based blogger, best known for his role in Dirty Politics and publishing the Whale Oil Beef Hooked blog, which operated from 2005 until it closed in 2019. Cam blogs regularly on the BFD - where this article was sourced.