Te Pāti Māori is criticizing the government’s claim that requiring local councils to ask residents about Māori wards is democratic. An MP from the party accused government MPs of Māori descent of having “internalized” racism towards their own culture.
On Tuesday, the coalition government’s Local Government Amendment Bill passed. This law requires councils that set up Māori wards without polling locals to either hold a poll or remove the wards.
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown said that the previous Labour government made “divisive changes” that took away community voices on establishing Māori wards, which he claims undermined democracy. He stated that today is a “great day for local democracy.”
However, Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi argued that the government supports democracy only when it is convenient for them. She questioned why rural boards aren’t being challenged, showing inconsistency in the government’s definition of democracy.
The Labour Party had previously ended the need for a referendum on Māori wards, arguing that other wards, like rural wards, don’t require a vote. Labour leader Chris Hipkins criticized the new law, saying it treats Māori differently compared to non-Māori and claimed everyone should be treated equally.
Hipkins denied that Māori have “extra votes” in their own wards, stating that everyone still gets just one vote in either a Māori ward or a general ward.
The bill was part of agreements made with the ACT and NZ First parties, both of which have Māori MPs alongside National.
Kapa-Kingi emphasized the value of Māori representation in local government, saying that Māori wards have worked well and had strong community support. National MP James Meager defended the bill, stating that Te Pāti Māori believes they have the only correct view on being Māori.
He said all perspectives should be valued, regardless of ethnicity or background, and that the bill should give local communities a say in creating Māori wards.
Kapa-Kingi criticized Meager’s comments as stemming from “internalized racism” and mentioned that his perspective reflects a broader comfort with privilege.
Meager responded, saying he would rather focus on issues important to his electorate than respond to Kapa-Kingi’s remarks.
