Guest Post by Ivan Barnett on New Minister
Ref: Immediate Legislative Action Required to Halt Ongoing Iwi Entrenchment in Local Government
To the Members of the New Zealand First Caucus,
This notice is issued to express the deep concern of New Zealanders who have watched the steady erosion of democratic authority through the appointment of unelected iwi representatives to council committees with full voting rights. The Government’s recent announcement claiming to “restore democratic accountability” is not action. It is not reform. It is not protection of the principle of one person, one vote. It is a political cover‑up for continued inaction.
New Zealand First has long stood for equal citizenship, constitutional clarity, and the finality of democratic authority. This moment demands that those principles be upheld without compromise.
1. Nothing changes today
Despite the headlines, the Government’s announcement: removes no unelected appointees, freezes no new iwi appointments, stops no delegations of authority, halts none of the cultural governance structures already embedded. The machinery of co‑governance continues without interruption.
2. The six‑month delay is a loophole
By giving councils six months to “review” their appointments after the law is passed, the Government has created a window for iwi‑aligned councils to: accelerate appointments, entrench structures, lock in voting rights, continue exercising authority without democratic mandate. This is not reform. It is political theatre.
3. Councils are already ignoring the Government
The Far North District Council has openly stated it will continue its programme regardless of the announcement. Tauranga still has unelected iwi appointees with full voting rights. Other councils are moving quickly to embed parallel governance structures. The Government’s statement has no force and no effect.
CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE
Here is the core truth that defines the moment:
When a public authority knowingly acts outside the law, and those responsible refuse to correct it, the result is not merely unlawful conduct — it is a breakdown in constitutional government.
A democracy does not collapse in one dramatic moment.
It collapses when those entrusted with lawful authority refuse to enforce the law, ignore unlawful conduct, and allow power to be exercised without democratic mandate. When that happens, the constitution is not merely strained; it is breached.
This is the danger now facing New Zealand.
DEMAND TO NEW ZEALAND FIRST
As a party that has consistently defended: equal citizenship, one law for all, the sovereignty of Parliament, and the finality of democratic authority. New Zealand First must now insist on immediate legislative action. New Zealand First must demand an Emergency Bill on the first sitting day after Parliament returns from the term break. This Bill must: remove voting rights from all unelected appointees immediately, freeze all new appointments, eliminate the six‑month delay, prevent councils from entrenching structures before the law takes effect.
Anything less allows the ongoing erosion of democratic authority to continue unchecked.
New Zealanders expect New Zealand First to stand firm and insist on real action, not political theatre.
1. Nothing changes today
Despite the headlines, the Government’s announcement: removes no unelected appointees, freezes no new iwi appointments, stops no delegations of authority, halts none of the cultural governance structures already embedded. The machinery of co‑governance continues without interruption.
2. The six‑month delay is a loophole
By giving councils six months to “review” their appointments after the law is passed, the Government has created a window for iwi‑aligned councils to: accelerate appointments, entrench structures, lock in voting rights, continue exercising authority without democratic mandate. This is not reform. It is political theatre.
3. Councils are already ignoring the Government
The Far North District Council has openly stated it will continue its programme regardless of the announcement. Tauranga still has unelected iwi appointees with full voting rights. Other councils are moving quickly to embed parallel governance structures. The Government’s statement has no force and no effect.
CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE
Here is the core truth that defines the moment:
When a public authority knowingly acts outside the law, and those responsible refuse to correct it, the result is not merely unlawful conduct — it is a breakdown in constitutional government.
A democracy does not collapse in one dramatic moment.
It collapses when those entrusted with lawful authority refuse to enforce the law, ignore unlawful conduct, and allow power to be exercised without democratic mandate. When that happens, the constitution is not merely strained; it is breached.
This is the danger now facing New Zealand.
DEMAND TO NEW ZEALAND FIRST
As a party that has consistently defended: equal citizenship, one law for all, the sovereignty of Parliament, and the finality of democratic authority. New Zealand First must now insist on immediate legislative action. New Zealand First must demand an Emergency Bill on the first sitting day after Parliament returns from the term break. This Bill must: remove voting rights from all unelected appointees immediately, freeze all new appointments, eliminate the six‑month delay, prevent councils from entrenching structures before the law takes effect.
Anything less allows the ongoing erosion of democratic authority to continue unchecked.
New Zealanders expect New Zealand First to stand firm and insist on real action, not political theatre.
6 comments:
Regular New Zealanders couldn’t give a jot about this nonsense. The economy is in trouble and unemployment is up and nothing has been done about the power and grocery oligopolies. Meanwhile NZ First is accelerating its dog whistles rather than do anything to fix any of it,. Madness.
Hang on, I heard a rumor that kiri 'let's get trashed' allen is looking to join nz first. The fact that that name is even linked to nz first destroys nz firsts credibility. Are they that stupid?
If, its true, There's got to be 5.2 million better candidates in this country than her.
My uncle agrees with this post. He is an admitted racist, but I don’t know if that correlates.
Regular New Zealanders do give a jot about this. It's just to many are unaware of the movement, gathering pace, intent on bringing down the very institutions that guarantee we even have an economy in the first place.
There is now, just cause for political parties to the right to issue altimatums.
For God's sake, NO KIRI ALLEN as an MP ... or candidate for NZF -or any other party. Shown contempt for law and democracy. Not a dumping ground for rejects from other parties.
Speak for yourself and other ill advised people like yourself Anon 7-06. You obviously have no clue what "regular New Zealanders" are thinking. Yes, electricity prices and supermarket duopolies are important, but so are a lot of other things if NZ is to get back on track
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