Dover Samuels says Māori wards can be the new dawn for all New Zealanders

Former Labour MP-turned local body politician Dover Samuels is right behind Māori wards. Photo / NZME

Feeling like an alien in your own country is a feeling former Māori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels understands all too well.

After a nasty experience at his first council meeting in the late 1960s, that painful memory now serves as a reminder for the veteran politician of how far this country has come.

The distressing episode was Samuels' first introduction to local government, and has fuelled more than half a century's fight for Māori representation in local politics.

Samuels explained how he'd turned up at the old Whangaroa County Council office, still on a high after becoming the newly-elected member for Otoroa Riding.

That joy had soon turned to despair, however, after the council chair, Eric Webber, sent him to wait outside like an insolent school boy.

"It was a time where local government was predominantly a non-Māori establishment, with no women and few Māori," Samuels said.

"I was therefore so surprised and mind-boggled that I even won that seat," he said.

"Many of our people in those days couldn't be bothered to vote because they didn't think it would make any difference.

"The council chair and I had a difference of opinion on things, so the whole atmosphere was very alien and isolating."

Dover Samuels and former National MP Murray McCully. Photo / NZME

Samuels explained it was his questions around expenditure and how rates applied to Māori land owners that had boiled Webber's blood.

"I said, how can you expect our people to pay rates when there are no services, no power, no water, no rubbish removal and we have to use dirt track roads?

"I then asked what were we paying for and why did we have to pay for these things when we got nothing.

"He then flew off the handle, said I was out of order and not to participate in any more of the discussion.

"I thought I had done something really bad."

That confrontation being his first experience of local government politics made Samuels even more determined to ensure better Māori representation was introduced at a local level.

Following his time as member for Otoroa Riding, Samuels has served as Minister for Māori Affairs, Far North deputy mayor, a Northland Harbour board member, Labour Party Māori senior vice president and Associate Minister for Economic Development, Housing, Tourism and Industry and Regional Development.

His proudest moment was during his time as Associate Minister for Tourism, during which he led a large delegation to China to promote Māori tourism and culture.

Samuels explained the trip had been one of the most successful tourism initiatives, especially for Māori, and had led to the economic ties NZ now shares with the republic.

The 83-year-old said that over the years he'd thought deeply about why so many issues and solutions approached from a Māori perspective had often attracted controversy.

"Things like rates, roads, sewerage are issues that affect our people on the ground, particularly in rural areas, and usually fall under local government," Samuels said.

"This has always been on my mind, and the aspiration to have better Māori representation at a local level was something I've fought for many years.

"It's always been a touchy subject though, and people have always been very sensitive regarding specific Māori wards and representatives promoting Māori worldviews."

Māori representation has traditionally been reserved for central government, with statutory Māori seats allocated for the House of Representatives.

Samuels said he had always questioned why Parliament, the governing body of NZ, had statutory Māori seats - yet in local government, there was nothing.

"Why should these seats be confined to the elite of the parliament of Westminster system, which has the same democracy and rules as local government?" he said.

"I've always advocated the issues of our people are decided in local government, yet for years and years we've had no voice."

Samuels said he was elated to see the tides finally turning in local government, thanks to the introduction of the Ngā Tai o Tokerau/Māori wards at this year's local government elections.

He explained the name 'Te Tai Tokerau' is symbolic, meaning "two tides of the North", and believed the Māori wards represented the start of the two 'tides', Māori and Pākehā, now coming together.

"For many years there was only one influence in local government, which, historically and culturally, was middle-aged Pākehā men, predominantly from the farming community," he said.

"My humble advice to all people is to give it time and you will see, this is in fact not a challenge to non-Māori or the mana of the rest of the community.

"It's the return of the two tides, showing we can work together to bring change.

"That is the wairua of it - not to divide the community, but to bring it together."

As the sun sets on his political life, Samuels said he hoped his karanga (call) to Māori would help inspire them to embrace the current opportunity before them.

He asked that whānau, iwi and hapū exercise their tino rangatiratanga and take advantage of an unprecedented new dawn.

"It's poignant when we talk about stars lining up for Matariki and quite symbolic, because now the stars are also lining up for local government," Samuels said.

"We will finally have tangata whenua contributing to the nation and I'm proud to say I've seen this happen. It's a dream come true.

"I'm inspired by the younger generation and salute those who have endured the misinformation, the aggro, the threats of those who don't understand how these tides can work in harmony to bring about a better nation."