Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2021

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Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2021
Coat of arms of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand Parliament
Long title
  • This bill amends the to align the treatment of Māori wards and constituencies with the treatment of general wards and constituencies, remove all mechanisms for binding polls to be held on the establishment of Māori wards and constituencies, and provide local authorities with an opportunity to make decisions on Māori wards and constituencies in time for the 2022 local elections.[1]
Royal assent1 March 2021[1]
Legislative history
Introduced byNanaia Mahuta
First reading9 February 2021[1]
Second reading23 February 2021[1]
Third reading23 February 2021[1]
Related legislation
Status: Current legislation

The Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act is an Act of Parliament in New Zealand which eliminates mechanisms for holding public referendums on the establishment of Māori wards and constituencies on local bodies. The Act was supported by the Labour, Green and Māori parties but opposed by the opposition National and ACT parties. National attempted to delay the bill by mounting a twelve-hour-long filibuster challenging all of the Act's ten clauses.[2][3]

Background[]

The existing Local Electoral Act 2001 allowed local referendums to overturn the decision of an elected local or regional council to introduce a Māori ward. Just five percent support was needed for a local poll to be held.[4]

In mid-2018, local councils' efforts to introduce Māori wards in Palmerston North, Western Bay of Plenty, Whakatāne, Manawatu, and Kaikōura had been defeated at local referendums.[5][6][7][8]

In early December 2020, advocacy group ActionStation and Māori ward campaigners Toni Boynton and Danae Lee collected 10,000 signatures calling for Parliament to eliminate legislation allowing referendums on Māori wards on local and regional councils.[9]

Legislation[]

The Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill seeks to align the treatment of Māori wards and constituencies with the treatment of general wards and constituencies; eliminate all mechanisms for binding polls to be held on the establishment of Māori wards and polls; and provide local bodies with the opportunity to make decisions on Māori wards and constituencies prior to the local body elections scheduled for 2022.[10]

To achieve these policy goals, the Local Electoral Amendment Bill repeals:

  1. the provisions in the relating to polls on the establishment of Māori wards and Māori constituencies;
  2. prohibits local councils from initiating binding polls on whether to establish Māori wards or Māori constituencies (while retaining the right of councils to initiate non-binding polls to gauge public sentiment); and
  3. establishes a transition period ending on 21 May 2021 in which any local authorities may establish Māori wards or Māori constituencies for the 2022 local elections.[10]

Legislative history[]

First reading[]

On 1 February 2021, Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta announced that the New Zealand Government would be introducing legislation to uphold local councils' decisions to establish Māori wards.[4] On 7 February, The New Zealand Herald reported that the Government would introduce the Local Electoral Amendment Bill under urgency on 9 February. In response, the opposition National Party leader Judith Collins confirmed that her party would oppose the new legislation, claiming that New Zealanders had not been properly consulted.[11]

The Bill passed its first reading at the New Zealand Parliament on 9 February by a margin of 77:41. The ruling Labour Party, allied Green Party and the opposition Māori Party voted in favour of the law while the National Party and the libertarian ACT Party opposed it.[12] On 10 February, the Chairperson of Parliament's Māori Affairs Committee issued an invitation for public submissions on the Local Electoral Amendment Bill.[13]

Second and third readings[]

On 23 February 2021, the Local Government Amendment Bill passed its second reading by a margin of 77:43 along partisan lines. The Labour, Green, and the Māori parties supported the bill while the National and ACT parties opposed it.[14] That same day, the Bill passed its third reading by a margin of 77:43 along party lines.[15] The National Party staunchly opposed the bill, staging a 12-hour filibuster opposing the Bill's ten clauses and vowing to repeal the bill if elected at the 2023 New Zealand general election.[2]

Assent[]

On 1 March 2021, the Local Government Amendment Bill received royal assent and was implemented into law.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b Wade, Amelia (24 February 2021). "Bill to abolish local veto on Māori wards passes despite National's marathon opposition". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  3. ^ Scotcher, Katie (24 February 2021). "Māori wards amendment bill passes final reading in Parliament". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Changes to 'fundamentally unfair' process to make way for Māori wards". Radio New Zealand. 1 February 2021. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  5. ^ Hurihanganui, Te Aniwa (22 May 2018). "Rejection of Māori wards: 'This is wrong'". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  6. ^ "Mayor 'gutted' after public votes against Māori wards". Radio New Zealand. 19 May 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  7. ^ Kilmister, Sam; Rankin, Janine (15 May 2018). "Manawatū Māori wards vote a resounding 'no'". Stuff. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  8. ^ Lee, Moana Makapelu (21 May 2018). "Four districts reject Maori wards". Māori Television. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  9. ^ Jones, Charlotte (9 February 201). "New bill rids Māori ward veto". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill Explanatory Note". Legislation New Zealand. Parliamentary Counsel Office. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  11. ^ Trevett, Claire (7 February 2021). "Labour to rush Māori wards change into law, National's Judith Collins says 'undemocratic'". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 21 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill — First Reading". New Zealand Parliament. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  13. ^ Maori Affairs Committee (10 February 2021). "Submissions Now Open For: Local Electoral (Māori Wards And MāoriConstituencies) Amendment Bill". Scoop. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill — Second Reading". New Zealand Parliament. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill — Third Reading". New Zealand Parliament. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.

External links[]

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