Hamilton City Council’s plan to appoint non-elected members to Council committees will erode local democracy.

This proposal is potentially even more damaging than Maori wards. The new appointees will not be elected, so they will be unaccountable in their decision-making – even to Maori.

The appointees will come from the local iwi and a Maori social service agency, will have full voting rights on their committees, and will receive full-time salaries paid by Hamilton ratepayers.