Brian Rudman: Don't forget - it's about democracy

As I write this, on the eve of today's Super City hikoi, the Maori organisers seem perilously close to becoming marginalised at their own protest rally.

Inviting all and sundry certainly helped boost the attention. But it also risks diluting the cause by throwing so many grievances into the pot that the Maori representation niggle gets lost in the general stew.

On Friday, three of the region's mayors appeared in these pages wearing hikoi T-shirts. All were committed to Maori representation, they said, though Manukau Mayor Len Brown added that first and foremost, he would be marching for democracy. No doubt Penny Bright and every other squeaky wheel group with a barrow to push will be along for the free ride as well.

A hint of this dilution of message emerged last Thursday when the Pacific Island Chamber of Commerce chairman Ulu Aiono, emerged from a hui between hikoi organisers and representatives of four city councils' Pacific advisory committees, to declare such a meeting of Pacific minds had been too long coming. The meeting had called for a collaborative approach on issues such as representation.

If you read Pacific lobbyists' submissions to the royal commission on Auckland governance, those comments are shorthand for separate Pacific Islander seats. And that's where I part company.

The submissions from the Manukau and Waitakere council's ethnic boards, and from the Labour Party's Pacific-sector council went much further. They wanted "ethnically" selected councillors, either appointed or elected. Waitakere City's ethnic board proposed an ethnic ward with two or three councillors, while the same city's Pacific Board preferred proportional representation ensuring Pacific representation based on population numbers. "It will continue to be detrimental to the growing Pacific population and the integrity and image of Auckland ... if the 'rednecks' continue to rule." I might agree with the sentiment, but not with the divisively race-based cure proposed.

The Labour Party group wanted "a mix of elected members as well as appointed members for specialist key stakeholders, ie, Maori, Pacific, Asian, business, environmental ..." Everyone, it seemed, but the common Joe.

As I wrote at the time the commission heard these submissions, the frustration of being in a minority came through loud and clear. But setting up electoral systems based on racial origins is not the answer. The Fiji mess is proof of that. But by enlisting the support of the Pacific Island groups, the hikoi organisers have opened the lid on this whole can of worms.

Maori have argued until now that their right to separate seats is based on their First Nation status. But cosying up to their first cousins from the Pacific and their demands risks losing them any support they might have from PCers like myself.

I'm uncomfortable with expanding Maori representation beyond its historic parliamentary realm. But if it is to be a curtainraiser for Pacific and Asian seats as well, then at the risk of being labelled a redneck, I'm against the whole concept.

The real worry is that paralysing the town today to promote the cause of a couple of Maori seats on the Auckland super council risks taking the spotlight off a much greater travesty. A proposed electoral system that will ensure permanent rule, not necessarily of the rednecks, but of the bluebloods.

What democrats of every hue should be protesting about is an electoral system which has the mayor and eight of the 20 councillors, elected on an "at large" basis. The mayor and these eight "A" grade councillors will contest a constituency of one-third the population of New Zealand.

Only celebrities and the seriously rich - or placemen of the serious rich - will be able to afford such a contest. Alongside this group, two Maori representatives will be little more than tokens.

At least, all 20 councillors should be elected on a ward basis. At least that way, local communities would have some direct connection with the powerbrokers.

And regardless of whether there's a ward-based system or the at-large voting is retained, consideration should be given to introducing proportional voting as a way of guaranteeing equitable representation for Auckland's diverse communities, both ethnic and social. As Len Brown points out, the big issue is creating a democratic system for all Aucklanders.