🔗 Share this article Guaranteed Māori Seats on New Zealand Councils to Be Reduced by More Than Half The count of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils is set to be slashed by more than half, after a controversial legislative amendment that forced municipal councils to put the future of hard-won Māori seats to a popular referendum. Background Information on Māori Wards Indigenous electoral districts, which can include one or more elected officials based on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to vote for a guaranteed Indigenous council member in local and regional authorities. Initially, local governments could only create a Māori ward by first putting it to a public vote in their area. Local populations often spent years generating community backing and pushing their local governments to create Māori wards. Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government allowed local councils to establish a Māori ward without first requiring them to subject it to a popular ballot. However, this year, the current administration overturned the policy, saying local residents should decide whether to establish Indigenous representation. Voting Outcomes The coalition’s law change required councils that had created a ward under Labour’s rules to hold decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Of 42 councils participating in the referendum, 17 voted to keep their wards, and 25 to disestablish theirs – revealing many regions opposed to reserved Indigenous seats. The results represented “a crucial move in reinstating community self-determination.” Critics nevertheless have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the coalition government has implemented sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has stated it aims to terminate “race-based” approaches, and asserts it is committed to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders. Geographical Splits The results of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven cities required to vote supported Indigenous seats, while rural regions leaned strongly towards removing them. “It's unfortunate for the Māori wards that had recently been established – they’re just beginning to hit their stride.” Electoral Participation and Concerns This year’s municipal polls recorded the lowest voter turnout in over three decades, with under one-third of eligible voters participating, prompting demands for reform. The process had been “a farce”. Differential Standards Councils are able to establish different electoral districts – such as rural wards – without initially mandating a community ballot. The different conditions applied to Māori wards suggested the administration was singling out Māori representation. “Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Many communities have given the government a middle finger response.” This statement concerned the 17 areas that voted to keep their wards.