Local Government Minister Simon Watts announced changes to the Local Government Act 2002 that would mean voting rights on council committees would be made only for elected councillors.
Watts said the change would strengthen democratic accountability and address concerns raised by councils and members of the public.
He said examples had emerged around New Zealand where unelected individuals, including iwi representatives and people under the age of 18, had been appointed to council committees and granted voting rights.
Under the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Act 2022, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu appoints up to two members to the council.
These appointees are full councillors with the same voting and decision-making authority as the 14 elected councillors.
Under the proposed changes, councils would still be able to appoint non elected members to committees to provide expertise, advice and community representation.
However, those appointees would no longer be able to vote and would not count towards a quorum.
Watts said statutory committees and appointments established through Treaty settlements would be excluded from the changes.
Committee members appointed under legislation outside the Local Government Act would also retain voting rights.
ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton welcomed the announcement.
“Today is a massive win for ratepayers and local democracy. ACT has been pushing hard to close this anti-democratic loophole, and I’m pleased Local Government Minister Simon Watts has finally taken up a version of my Member’s Bill to get it done,” Luxton said.
“Our position has always been simple. If you haven’t faced the voters, you shouldn’t have a vote on how their money is spent.
“Across New Zealand, councils have increasingly handed voting rights to unelected appointees. Whether they represent iwi, industry groups, youth councils, or any other interest, giving unelected people the power to make decisions on behalf of ratepayers undermines democratic accountability.”
“ACT’s local councillors have been leading the fight against this trend on the ground,” he said.
“In the Far North, ACT Councillor Davina Smolders exposed plans to give 10 unelected iwi representatives voting rights on a committee of just 16 members. As she pointed out, that creates governance structures where those making decisions are not accountable to the people paying the bills.
“In Otago, ACT Councillor Robbie Byars has been standing up against proposals to grant voting rights to unelected mana whenua representatives.
“While our councillors have been fighting these battles around council tables, I have been applying the pressure in Wellington. I drafted a Member’s Bill to strip these voting rights from the Local Government Act and spent months persistently lobbying Simon Watts to adopt it. Today, the Minister is adopting this change and making it the law of the land.
“Councils remain free to seek advice and input from whoever they choose. Consultation is important. But when it comes to making decisions and casting votes, accountability matters.
“The people making decisions on behalf of ratepayers should be the people ratepayers can vote out.”
The changes will be included in the Local Government (System Improvements) Bill currently before Parliament.
If passed, councils will have six months to review committee structures, delegations and appointments before the law takes effect.
Broadcaster Chris Lynch is an award winning journalist who also produces Christchurch news and video content for domestic and international companies. This article was originally published by Chris Lynch Media and is published here with kind permission.
He said examples had emerged around New Zealand where unelected individuals, including iwi representatives and people under the age of 18, had been appointed to council committees and granted voting rights.
Under the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Act 2022, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu appoints up to two members to the council.
These appointees are full councillors with the same voting and decision-making authority as the 14 elected councillors.
Under the proposed changes, councils would still be able to appoint non elected members to committees to provide expertise, advice and community representation.
However, those appointees would no longer be able to vote and would not count towards a quorum.
Watts said statutory committees and appointments established through Treaty settlements would be excluded from the changes.
Committee members appointed under legislation outside the Local Government Act would also retain voting rights.
ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton welcomed the announcement.
“Today is a massive win for ratepayers and local democracy. ACT has been pushing hard to close this anti-democratic loophole, and I’m pleased Local Government Minister Simon Watts has finally taken up a version of my Member’s Bill to get it done,” Luxton said.
“Our position has always been simple. If you haven’t faced the voters, you shouldn’t have a vote on how their money is spent.
“Across New Zealand, councils have increasingly handed voting rights to unelected appointees. Whether they represent iwi, industry groups, youth councils, or any other interest, giving unelected people the power to make decisions on behalf of ratepayers undermines democratic accountability.”
“ACT’s local councillors have been leading the fight against this trend on the ground,” he said.
“In the Far North, ACT Councillor Davina Smolders exposed plans to give 10 unelected iwi representatives voting rights on a committee of just 16 members. As she pointed out, that creates governance structures where those making decisions are not accountable to the people paying the bills.
“In Otago, ACT Councillor Robbie Byars has been standing up against proposals to grant voting rights to unelected mana whenua representatives.
“While our councillors have been fighting these battles around council tables, I have been applying the pressure in Wellington. I drafted a Member’s Bill to strip these voting rights from the Local Government Act and spent months persistently lobbying Simon Watts to adopt it. Today, the Minister is adopting this change and making it the law of the land.
“Councils remain free to seek advice and input from whoever they choose. Consultation is important. But when it comes to making decisions and casting votes, accountability matters.
“The people making decisions on behalf of ratepayers should be the people ratepayers can vote out.”
The changes will be included in the Local Government (System Improvements) Bill currently before Parliament.
If passed, councils will have six months to review committee structures, delegations and appointments before the law takes effect.
Broadcaster Chris Lynch is an award winning journalist who also produces Christchurch news and video content for domestic and international companies. This article was originally published by Chris Lynch Media and is published here with kind permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for joining the discussion. Breaking Views welcomes respectful contributions that enrich the debate. Please ensure your comments are not defamatory, derogatory or disruptive. We appreciate your cooperation.