Maori board voting right unfair Labour

Phil Twyford. Photo / Dean Purcell

It is undemocratic and untenable for unelected members of the Auckland Council's Maori statutory board to have voting rights on council committees, says Labour's Auckland issues spokesman Phil Twyford.

Two Maori representatives from the nine-member Maori statutory body will join up to 20 council committees with full voting powers under a Super City bill passed last year in the name of Local Government Minister and Act leader Rodney Hide.

Mr Twyford said hand-picked representatives exercising a full vote alongside elected representatives on council committees went against a fundamental principle of democracy and the Government should amend the law to make the positions advisory only.

Labour had always supported having Maori seats on the Auckland Council.

"Imagine how people will feel in a really heated debate on some important issue, a committee is evenly split, and these non-elected, hand-picked advisers have the casting vote. People will be furious," Mr Twyford said.

Last night, Mr Hide, who is overseas, on his honeymoon, issued a statement saying the decision for Maori to be members of committees was made at the select committee state. He did not say if he agreed with the decision.

Mr Hide threatened to resign as minister if the Government provided Maori seats on the council, and as Act leader has been a vocal advocate of "one law for all".

He did say he was surprised the board would appoint people to sit on all council committees when the legislation required it to appoint people only to committees that dealt with the management and stewardship of natural and physical resources.

He thought membership should be confined to committees dealing with resource management issues.

He said it was up to the Auckland Council and the Maori statutory board, rather than the Government, to agree what Maori participation on committees was appropriate.

The Auckland Council is seeking guidance from the Government on the matter.

A council spokesman said there was "perplexed amusement" about the apparent undemocratic practice arising from the Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Act 2010.

Councillor Alf Filipaina, who is part-Maori and is the liaison councillor for the Maori statutory board, said he supported the matter because it had been passed into law.

Members of the Maori statutory board were chosen last year by an iwi selection committee. The nine-member board is made up of seven mana whenua representatives for Ngati Whatua, Waikato and Hauraki tribes - Anahera Morehu, Glenn Wilcox, David Taipari, Glen Tupuhi, James Brown, Wayne Knox, Patience Te Ao - and two "mataawaka" members - Tony Kake and John Tamihere - for other Maori.

Board chairman David Taipari said members were looking forward to being involved in council proceedings, as it was "appropriate".

THE RULES

"The [Maori advisory] board must appoint a maximum of 2 persons to sit as members on each of the Auckland Council's committees that deal with the management and stewardship of natural and physical resources."