Oral submissions on the bill to entrench Ngāi Tahu seats on Environment Canterbury were heard by the Māori Affairs Committee last week – and those who watched the proceedings report that there were considerably more presentations in opposition than those in support.

Last month we celebrated as the Canterbury Regional Council Ngai Tahu Representation Bill was voted down in parliament. Following this welcome news, hopefully many have written to Simon Bridges, Winston Peters and David Seymour to show appreciation for their stand, and to congratulate Shane Jones and Nick Smith for their speeches against the bill, as reported on RadioNZ, available HERE. If you have not done so, it’s not too late, we are sure they’d love to hear from you.

New Zealand First has scuppered Labour's bid to give Ngāi Tahu permanent seats on the Canterbury Regional Council, saying its special treatment for Māori. Shane Jones acknowledged the party's long-held position against separate seats for Māori on local body councils.

The latest news, via Parliamentary Order Papers, is that the bill has been postponed until further notice. Canterbury local, John Bell, who is spearheading the public campaign against the bill, is asking everyone to write to National MPs urging them to ensure that the Bill is defeated at a First Reading. The more letters to that effect as possible, the better. A First Reading defeat would save us the trouble of flooding a Select Committee with submissions.