Bob Edlin: Maori and InternetNZ – guaranteed places at the board table.....

Maori and InternetNZ – guaranteed places at the board table should help to ensure mauri is not lost

The internet is some 43 years old, harking back to the adoption of standard TCP/IP protocols in 1983. Its precursor, ARPANET, sent its first message in 1969 whereas the World Wide Web, which made the internet accessible to the public, was launched in 1991.

Whichever of those dates might be chosen as its starting point, the internet is a comparatively recent development.

But the people who run InternetNZ have rooted their management principles in the much older Treaty of Waitangi and are keen to incorporate te ao Māori in their governance.

The Treaty was signed in 1840, before the establishment of evolutionary biology, the discovery of electricity’s practical applications, the birth of modern physics, the unravelling of genetics, and the computer revolution that – we suppose – has given rise to InternetNZ.

It is a non-profit, open-membership organisation which

• Oversees the registry for all .nz domain names .co.nz, .net.nz, and so on).
• Re-invests revenue from .nz sales back into the community to support a better internet.
• Advocates on issues like cybersecurity, digital divides, and privacy, often focusing on a “better internet” that reduces harm while fostering innovation.
• Provides grants for community projects that advance its mission.

It is a membership-based organisation with a council and a focus on being Te Tiriti o Waitangi-centric.

That focus looks suspiciously like a fixation on discouraging merit-based appointments to ensure Maori voices are heard.

This is reflected in the recruitment of two Appointed Board Members.

An email to members from the InternetNZ Membership Team dated 11 May 2026 says applications close today, 12 May 2026.

It explains that the Constitution includes the provision for at least 2 to 3 Appointed Board Members, alongside elected Board Members.

A strong whiff of co-governance, eh?

At its December 2025 Board meeting, the board resolved to establish an Appointments Panel to run the process for two Appointed Board Members for a three-year term commencing at the 2026 AGM.

The Appointments Panel sets candidate selection criteria, reviews applications, seeks advice, and makes recommendations of candidates to the Board.

But let’s get to the nitty-gritty – or should that be te ngati-gritty?

The Board must comprise people with knowledge, skills and experience required for effective governance of the Society…

So far, so good – but:

… at least two Board Members shall have expertise in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te ao Māori, and/or Māori governance (see constitution clause 3.2). Therefore, we are particularly interested in hearing from candidates who bring:

• a strong grounding in Te Tiriti o Waitangi

• experience in te ao Māori, Māori governance, or kaupapa Māori leadership

• proven governance experience and strategic capability

If this sounds like you, or someone you know, please apply via Institute of Directors Board Appointments advertisements.

The email was sent out in the name of Stephen Judd, Chairperson, InternetNZ.

The organisation he heads distinguishes Maori citizens from the rest.

Its objects include:

Collaborating with, and coordinating across, the wider Aotearoa New Zealand Internet community, the general public, Māori, New Zealand government agencies, and other organisations when giving effect to the above objects.

Racial considerations are further spelled out under “Board composition, skills and leadership”

The board shall consist of nine Board Members when possible but at no time less than seven.

But democracy hadn’t arrived in this country back in 1840 and it doesn’t unduly influence what happens to InternetNZ, where appointed board members help meet “Treaty” objectives.

The board must comprise

At least 5 and up to 6 Elected Board Members, who must be Eligible Members of the Society; and

at least 2 and up to 3 Appointed Board Members.

This is the election-dodging principle which increasingly finding favour in local body governance.

And do the members have to be tech-savvy?

Apparently not.

3.2.3 Skills requirements: The Board shall comprise people with the knowledge, skills and experience required for effective governance of the Society. At least two Board Members shall have expertise in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te ao Māori, and/or Māori governance.

Yep. A Maori voice and a Maori cultural understanding matters more than a grasp of IT systems.

And so:

3.2.4 Māori representation: The Society shall endeavour to have at least 3 Māori Board Members at all times. At least 1 Appointed Board Member must be Māori.

3.2.5 Leadership of the Board: Subject to clause 3.2.6, the Board shall be led by two Board Members, either:

1. Co-Chairs with joint responsibility for leading the Board, one of whom must be Māori; or

2. a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.

3.2.6 Co-Chairs is a preferred leadership model: The Board shall endeavour to appoint Co-Chairs. If this is not possible, the Board may appoint a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.

PoO recalls a time – just a decade ago – when the annual NetHui held in Auckland provided a forum for Māori to discuss and share their ideas about whether tikanga Māori crosses over to the internet.

One Lincoln university philosopher says it does. Over 3 billion people are connected to the internet worldwide, but where does Māori fit into that?

Indigenous Digital Philosopher, Karaitiana Taiuru says, “We’re kanohi ki te kanohi, you know their mauri, you can touch something and get the mauri and the internet, it’s nothing, it’s te kore and it’s hard to try and quantify that. But if you use the internet for the right purposes then it will have mauri.”

To put this another way, the mauri is lost if the internet is used for the wrong purposes.

Perhaps it’s to ensure the mauri is not lost that InternetNZ is striving to give Maori such a strong voice on their board.

Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.