This year’s local body election is a chance to halt the slide to a strife-torn ethnostate - let’s make it a priority to actively back candidates who will uphold democratic principles and equal rights.
It’s time to hold councillors accountable and replace those who support an increasingly broad range of anti-democratic, race-based policies. For instance, many councils now have Māori-specific roles and offices within council; unelected individuals with voting rights on council committees; co-governance arrangements and other partnership agreements; targeted funding; special procurement rules; the routine involvement of iwi in resource consents; and Māori wards.
Your vote will help determine whether these policies are continued or rolled back.
Ask candidates if they oppose co-governance, unelected people in decision-making roles, and race-based wards. If they do, not only support them with your vote, but also with your time, skills, or donations.
For more details on voting, please see below ‘Local Body Elections 2025’
Forty-two councils to hold referendums on Māori wards.
Democracy Action does not support Māori wards. There are several reasons for this, which include those listed below at ‘Māori wards set to be a highly contentious election issue’. We only need to look at the belligerent antics of Te Pati Māori to see how disruptive and divisive separate race-based seats can be. The Kaipara District Council is another example. Mayor Jepson reports that the Maori ward councillor repeatedly disrupts and undermines the council. “It has also cost ratepayers a lot of money,” Mayor Jepson says, “because the council has had to respond to frivolous Code of Conduct complaints and legal challenges to our decisions, claiming we have breached Treaty obligations.” You can read more in Frank Newman’s interview with Mayor Jepson HERE.
To paraphrase a statement made by former US President Barack Obama in 2006: “Ethnic-based tribal politics has to stop........... Instead of unifying the country to move forward on solving problems, it divides neighbour from neighbour.”
People power wins in Taupo - for the time being
Thanks to the considerable pushback by locals the Taupō District Council has deferred its decision on the proposed water agreement with Tūwharetoa until after the upcoming elections. The Joint Management Agreement would see the council and Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board collaborate on work such as monitoring and enforcement, district plan reviews, and resource consent application assessments. Most of the council still wants to push this agreement through without consulting the public, which shows how important it is to choose our representatives wisely.
Another partial win for democracy in Auckland as the Council gives the go-ahead for a joint committee.
Auckland Council has voted to form a joint committee with Te Kawerau ā Maki to formally involve the iwi in managing the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area. The committee will serve in an advocacy role, providing advice and recommendations. However, there are reservations about how this arrangement will work out in the long term. It will be up to our elected representatives to ensure the committee does not morph into a decision-making body in the future. As Waitākere Local Board member Sandra Coney said at the Policy and Planning committee meeting when this decision was made, "there is a lot to be worked out yet, and it will probably evolve over time." See more on this issue below at ‘Auckland underway with Joint Committee for Waitākere Ranges’.
We first learned of this proposed Deed when two local outdoors groups approached Democracy Action for help, fearing that the joint committee would sideline the public. If the events at the council meeting are anything to go by, their concerns may well be justified. The front four rows of seats in the public gallery were exclusively reserved for Te Kawerau ā Maki and their fellow travellers. In contrast, the public were relegated to back-row seating or were ushered to a separate room to watch via video link. What played out in the meeting was well-orchestrated theatre aimed at ensuring the council approve the Deed. The meeting had quite an intimidatory atmosphere, and the handful of councillors who expressed their reservations about the joint committee were met with groans and mutterings from this group. Video recordings of the August meeting (held on 14 August) are available HERE
Welcome news on two coalition promises
Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith has announced plans to strengthen the Marine and Coastal Area Act to restore Parliament’s original intent. He says last year’s Supreme Court ruling set too low a bar for granting customary rights, with recent cases awarding almost all the claims.
Thanks to all who lobbied Coalition leaders and the Minister. While it’s unclear how effective the changes will be in stopping the iwi takeover of the coastline, we hope they will safeguard it for all New Zealanders.
However, in another legal bombshell, the Supreme Court has just ruled that navigable rivers do meet the definition of a “marine and coastal area” and can be included in customary marine claims.
Another coalition promise now underway is the review of Treaty principles in legislation. A panel is currently undertaking this work and is scheduled to report back to Minister Goldsmith later this month. We hold high hopes for a positive outcome, but have concerns given the panel’s membership. A brief bio of each member is provided at: ‘Review of Treaty principles in legislation’.
This month’s recommended reading is a selection of thought-provoking commentaries - see: ‘Further news, views, commentaries…….’
Furthermore, regularly check the Democracy Action Facebook page, where we post news items and commentaries of interest as they come to hand.
Thank you for your continued interest and support. If you have any suggestions you would like to offer, or if you need further information or help, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
And please help spread the message by sharing our newsletters with anyone who may be interested. You can receive further updates by registering or joining us.
Last but not least, we send our best wishes to you and your loved ones for a happy, healthy, and safe Christmas and holiday season. We look forward to working with you again in the new year.
Kind regards,
Susan Short