Whanganui Māori Ward candidate Hayden Potaka says the omission of Māori Ward candidate profiles risks undermining the purpose of the district's new ward. Photo / Moana Ellis
Whanganui District Council has ruled out spending $70,000 of ratepayer money to send missing Māori Ward candidate profiles to all voters after the statements were left out of voting packs.
Council chief executive David Langford said with almost 30,000 voters on the general roll, the price tag made the option untenable.
“The council has considered sending the candidate profiles ourselves,” Langford said.
“However, I don’t think our community will think that is a good use of ratepayer funding when there are lower-cost and more effective ways to promote participation in the referendum.”
In a major blunder, information for Māori ward candidates was also missing from election materials for Ōpōtiki and South Wairarapa district councils.
Candidates have described feeling “absolutely gutted” and sparked criticism of the integrity of the election process.
In Whanganui, voting papers delivered last week list the names of the five Māori ward candidates – Kiritahi Firmin, Julie Herewini, Geoff Hipango, Hayden Potaka and Phil (Bear) Reweti – but their official statements are missing from the candidate booklet sent to every voter.
The five candidates are vying for the council’s first two Māori ward seats.
Election services provider electionz.com has admitted responsibility, citing an error in proofing and printing.
Langford met electionz.com’s managing director on Wednesday. He said the council pressed the company to send profiles to all electors, not just the 4810 voters on the Māori roll.
The company refused, saying it would do that only at the council’s cost.
“[It] explained that it is not necessary because people on the general roll are not eligible to vote for the Māori ward,” Langford told Local Democracy Reporting.
While the council accepted that reasoning under the Local Electoral Act, Langford said he challenged the refusal because of broader consequences.
“We were concerned that this may have an influence on the referendum on whether Whanganui retains Māori Wards or not.”
The council ran additional social media campaigns and newspaper advertisements at the weekend to highlight Māori Ward candidates. Profiles and candidate videos are also available on the council’s website.
Langford said electionz.com had publicly apologised and agreed to cover the cost of the extra advertising council will undertake. He said the company had “acted with integrity” in responding to its mistake.
“Mistakes happen. What matters is how we respond to them. Our community should have confidence that when a mistake is made, we are transparent and put them right.”
Council accepted electionz.com’s view that only Māori roll voters were “materially affected” by the omission.
No legal or contractual action would be taken by the council, Langford said.
“Our focus is now on encouraging participation in the election and referendum.”
Langford said the council would commit to a full review of its contract with electionz.com once voting was complete.
Whanganui Māori Ward candidate Hayden Potaka said the omissions risked undermining the purpose of the new ward.
He described the mistake as “disheartening” in what should have been a milestone election for local democracy.
“It risks sending the message that our representation isn’t valued equally. That’s not good enough.”
Potaka warned the oversight could affect turnout, especially among whānau voting in the Māori Ward for the first time.
He said both the council and its electoral service provider had a responsibility to ensure proper checks were in place.
“Māori often have to fight harder just to be seen and heard in these spaces. This situation only highlights why the Māori Ward exists,” Potaka said.
External electoral officer for Whanganui, Warwick Lampp, said further omissions had since come to light, including for the first Māori Ward elections in South Wairarapa “affecting 460 Māori ward electors”.
“Exactly the same thing, which shows a hole in our checking systems,” Lampp said.
Māori Ward candidate profiles are also missing from voting documents for the new Māori Ward in Opōtiki.
Elections company Election Services said it would now send the candidate profiles to 1958 affected electors in Ōpōtiki, accompanied by a letter of apology from electoral officer Dale Ofsoske.
In Manawatū, Te Pāti Māori raised concerns that Ngā Tapuae o Matangi Māori ward councillor Bridget Bell’s profile had not been included in the candidate booklet.
A profile was not required for Bell as she was elected unopposed.
But Te Tai Hauāuru MP Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the omission denied voters the chance to understand “the kaupapa and whakaaro” that showed why Māori representation mattered.
“How can people make an informed decision when the very face of the Māori ward – the seat on the line in this referendum – has been erased?” Ngarewa-Packer said.
On Friday, the Green Party called for the voting period for Māori wards to be extended.
“Key information about Māori wards missing from election packs could influence the course of the referendum,” the party’s spokesperson for Democracy and Electoral Reform, Celia Wade-Brown, said.
“We believe that failing to extend the voting period for the referendum could undermine its validity and trigger an inquiry under the Local Electoral Act.
“Communities deserve to have the full picture and be completely across what is at stake with this referendum before making a decision,” Wade-Brown said.
Local elections voting opened last Tuesday. A Māori Ward referendum is being held at 42 councils.
Comment has been sought from Local Government Minister Simon Watts.
This story has been updated to show that Manawatū District did not have Māori Ward candidate profiles as the candidate was elected unopposed.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.