Talk of a referendum on Maori seats was revived, briefly, last week when Acting Prime Minister and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters called for a two-pronged referendum on whether they should be entrenched or should go altogether.

Crown-Maori relations are in need of repair, according to Kelvin Davis, who is the Minister of the new Crown-Maori Relations portfolio.

For those following the long-running shambles to do with tribal claims for the coast, Friday is the deadline for submissions on the Nga Rohe Moana o Nga Hapu o Ngati Porou Bill (No. 2), which gives effect to a deed of agreement between Ngati Porou and the Crown for around 200 km of the East Coast coastline north of Gisborne.

By Michael Coote

Over recent years the people of New Zealand have repeatedly spoken through binding polls held under the auspices of the Local Electoral Act 2001 (LEA, see link appendix 1) concerning establishment of separate Maori representation in their local governments. As of May 19, 2018, results are in for no fewer than five LEA binding polls, wherein local electors decisively vetoed Maori wards that elected representatives on their local councils tried to foist upon them.

We posted full-page adverts this week to advertise the fact that claimed Treaty partnership between the Crown and “Maori” is constitutionally impossible. The adverts were prompted by meetings being conducted by Crown-Maori Relations Minister Kelvin Davis, often at private maraes.

Retired District Court Judge and Canterbury University law lecturer Anthony Willy: “Maori and the Crown are not partners in any sense of the word. It is constitutionally impossible for the Crown to enter into a partnership with any of its subjects. The true position is that the Crown is sovereign but owes duties of justice and good faith to the Maori descendants of those who signed the Treaty.” 

Maori wards became an issue of national significance over the past week after five districts voted against them and while a handful of politicians said they want to change the law to outlaw such referenda.

Politicians and media should respect the substantial votes against Maori wards in four districts, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Don Brash said today.

We’re into the last week of the Maori wards debate and what have we learned?

1.Only 55 percent of Maori voters are on the Maori roll, which means that 45 percent of Maori voters would vote on the general roll in council elections.

Wairiki MP Tamati Coffey found out in Whakatane what we found out while collecting signatures for petitions for a vote, that many people haven’t a clue about what proposals for Maori wards entail.