A bill giving separate Maori representation on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council would lead to "double-counting," warns the Local Government Commission.
The number of Maori voters on the Maori roll from the general election would determine the number of Maori constituency seats on the council.
But the Maori population is also counted in the general population data from which general seats are calculated, it said in a submission to the justice and electoral parliamentary select committee.
The commission was also concerned that with a statutory cap of 14 councillors, the number of Maori constituencies would impact on the general constituencies.
Opposition MPs criticised the commission for failing to say whether it supported or opposed the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (Maori Constituency Empowering) Bill.
The commission is appointed by the Minister of Local Government to make decisions on the structure of local government.
Its chief executive office, Donald Riezebos, was slated before the justice and electoral select committee yesterday by National list MP Alec Neill.
"What's the bloody commission doing if it's doing nothing but sitting on its tail," Mr Neill demanded to know.
Mr Riezebos said the commission was a quasi judicial body and it did want to prejudice any case that might be brought before it on the issue by taking a policy position.
Local Government Commission warns against separate Maori representation on BOP council
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