Clive Bibby: Are Maori Wards about to become a dot on the Timeline of History

I have always thought that the introduction of Maori Wards was a naked attack on the democratic institution of government in this country.

It was based on a false premise that people claiming to be of Maori decent were underrepresented in the corridors of power at all levels throughout the nation.

If ever there was a need for evidence that Maori citizens were either concerned about underrepresentation or happy with things as the used to be, the extremely low voting turnout in the recent Tamaki Makarau by-election said it all.

My guess is that the upcoming nationwide referendum on retaining Maori Wards will establish (hopefully once and for ever), regions where the locals think they are a vital part of the democratic processes available to all citizens irrespective of race, creed or position on the social ladder.

However, all is not what it might first seem.

Based on the incessant commentary from radical Maori leaders and Woke pakeha supporters, one could be fooled into thinking that the voting public as a whole are overwhelmingly in favour of retaining Maori wards and the referendum result will show that falsehood to be true.

Based on my own research, there appears to be no credible evidence for believing the referendum will support the adoption of Maori wards other than in areas where voter turnout is heavily in favour of establishing systems that are undemocratic in nature.

Yet for that sort of result to occur, Maori voters will have to turn out in record numbers and given their voting record over the last century, it is most unlikely that they, as a group, will be motivated enough to influence the result in favour of retention.

Personally, I would be happy to see Maori wards retained in regions where they have been adopted but only if the referendum clearly shows that it is the will of a majority of voters.

And my reasons are based purely on the democratic principle that each vote should carry as much weight as the next, but we are in danger of losing our sovereignty if we allow our system of governance to be diluted by the introduction of these divisive programmes.

Fortunately, in spite of recent attempts to gerrymander the system in favour of one select group of society, New Zealand remains one of the declining numbers of truly democratic countries on the planet.

Any future attempt to divide our population on the basis of race should be opposed with as much intellectual vigour as a united community can bring to the ballot box.

As things stand, we will need to be vigilant in maintaining our integrity as a nation that is as close as any to being a truly egalitarian society.

I say that only because the dark influences that have already established themselves in other countries and are attempting to overthrow the democratic institutions that have dominated for centuries, will not stop if they fail this time in an attempt to achieve their objective of division.

Sadly, indifference to changes that are designed to limit our freedoms is becoming commonplace throughout what remains of the Free World and this trend will continue unabashed if we don’t recognise it for what it is in all its forms.

We can’t afford to drop our guard in the current environment.

Future generations will not react kindly to our memory if we let this one slip.

Make sure you vote in the next local body elections.

The future makeup of our governing institutions is at stake.

Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.