Vote ruling excludes 13,500 Maori

Toa Greening

The Manukau City Council is being accused of discrimination over its policy that will prevent 13,500 Manukau Maori voting in an election because they are not on the Maori roll.

Manukau resident Toa Greening has lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission over the policy which prevents him standing as a candidate or voting in the election for council's Te Tiriti O Waitangi committee - meant to represent all Manukau Maori - because he is registered on the general roll not the Maori roll.

National Party leader Don Brash has labelled the council's policy unacceptable and said it "marginalises Maori and defies democracy".

"This policy totally overlooks the fact that 40 per cent of Maori in the area are registered on the general roll. It is yet another symptom of an electoral system that is sliding towards racial division."

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples has also slammed the council's policy saying he agrees that it is discrimination and says the council should change the rule.

"A Maori is a Maori. I agree with the complainant. Being on a roll is not about identity, it's a political choice. Just because you are on one or the other doesn't make you any more or any less Maori."

The council's Te Tiriti O Waitangi committee, which is due to start in June, is designed to advise the council on matters affecting Maori in Manukau City. The council stipulates that candidates, people nominating candidates and people wishing to vote for the candidates must be of Maori descent, live in Manukau City and be registered on the Maori roll.

Of the 32,500 Maori living in Manukau and registered on the electoral roll, 19,000 are registered on the Maori roll and 13,500 are on the general roll.

Manukau City Council chief executive Leigh Auton said the policy to exclude Maori on the general roll was decided at a series of hui and then voted on by the council.

He said the council had the final say as to who the Maori representatives on the committee would be. The policy will be reviewed in 12 months.

Mr Greening, 34, said that because he was of Maori descent he wanted to vote for the Maori representatives and possibly stand as a candidate, but could not.

"If they are wanting a committee to represent the views of all Maori in Manukau, then they should include all Maori in Manukau."

Mr Greening believes the council has discriminated against him on the grounds of his political choice to be on the general roll.

The Human Rights Act says it is unlawful to discriminate on the ground of political opinion in any area of public life.

Manukau City Councillor Dick Quax, who opposed the policy, said councillors were told by officials that Maori on the general roll should be excluded because they were not committed to Maori issues.

"I asked for some kind of evidence of that, but of course there was none. So we are disenfranchising 40 per cent of Maori and I don't think that is right."

Mr Quax said he was aware of other people who were making complaints to the Human Rights Commission. "But it is not just the one or two people ... there are actually 14,000 people who have had their rights trampled on." 


Te Tiriti O Waitangi committee

* Meant to represent all Manukau Maori and advise council on matters affecting Maori.
* Made up of nine councillors, five mana whenua positions (Maori with ancestral connections to Manukau) and four taura here positions (urban Maori).
* Only Maori registered on the Maori roll can take part in the election on May 13.