Bob Edlin: More Stuff and nonsense – this time about a rates cap

Check out the photograph above.

Published today by The Post and on the Stuff website, it shows the vice president of Local Government New Zealand, Rehette Stoltz, speaking to journalists.

It illustrates a report which the headline writer apparently did not read.

Bob Edlin: You may well learn who’s doing what, when you translate the te reo and turn the acronyms into simple English

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency became NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi early in December 2023.

The road-building agency at that time was believed to be the first government department to dump its te reo Māori name first in favour of its English name.

The New Zealand Herald reported:

Mike Butler: Maori wards basic facts

Maori wards became an issue again when the New Zealand coalition government announced, on April 4, 2024, that it would restore the rights of communities to determine whether to introduce Maori wards in local government.

Since the Ardern Labour government in 2021 removed the right to petition for a vote, 32 councils imposed Maori wards knowing that mostly whenever a vote was held, substantial opposition would block the proposal.

This piece serves to fill in the gaps because recent commentary promoting Maori wards mostly neglects to give basic facts, context, or background.

NZCPR Weekly: Defending Democracy

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we look into who is driving the campaign by Local Government New Zealand to abolish Maori Ward petition rights, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Michael Coote analyses LGNZ’s attack on our democratic rights and exposes the influence of the Iwi Chairs Forum, and our poll asks whether you think a binding referendum of all voters should be required for any attempt to abolish Maori ward petition rights.

*To read the newsletter click HERE.
*To register for the NZCPR Weekly mailing list, click HERE.  

NZCPR Weekly: Local Democracy Undermined

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we expose how Local Government New Zealand is attempting to undermine local democracy by calling for the abolition of Maori ward petition rights, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Cr Mike Lally explains why the right to demand a referendum on the introduction of Maori wards is so important for local communities, and our poll asks whether you agree with LGNZ that the public's right to call for a binding referendum on Council proposals to establish Maori wards should be abolished.

*To read the newsletter click HERE.
*To register for the NZCPR Weekly mailing list, click HERE.