Chris Lynch: Unelected council members to lose voting powers

The Government has moved to stop unelected appointees from voting on council committees, saying decision making should rest with representatives chosen by voters.

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.

Matua Kahurangi: Electoral Commission under fire for promoting pro-Māori wards messaging

ACT MP Cameron Luxton has raised concerns that the Electoral Commission is failing in its duty of neutrality by directing voters to a website that promotes pro-Māori wards messaging.

In a video released this week, Luxton walked viewers through the Commission’s official site, vote.nz, where voters might naturally expect impartial information on upcoming local elections and referendums. When clicking through to a section titled “about Māori wards and constituencies,” users are redirected to another page.

Bob Edlin: The deal that an ACT MP says shows how Kainga Ora scammed themselves

An iwi has made a profit of around $2 million by flipping Wellington’s Dixon Street flats for just over $3 million less than three weeks after buying the block from Kāinga Ora for $1.04 million.

OneRoof reports that Taranaki Whānui Limited resold the flats after buying it for much less than the market valuation from the state housing agency.

The purchaser, the Wellington Company, plans to develop 117 apartments at the site, preserving its historic status.

Cameron Luxton On Unelected Iwi Representatives In Tauranga Council

Leah Panapa talks to ACT's Cameron Luxton on The Platform about unelected iwi representatives in Tauranga Council committees.

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Cameron Luxton: Activist Mayors On A Hiding To Nothing Over Māori Wards

A group of mayors have written to the government claiming that reintroducing referendums for Māori wards is an 'overreach on local decision-making'. Responding to this, ACT Local Government spokesman Cameron Luxton says:

“This is absurd. Allowing local communities to have a say on their democratic structures is the epitome of local decision-making.