But 69 to 30 is what you would call a comprehensive result in the right direction. And I would hope a very, very loud message to those who still insist that Māori wards, or indeed any race-based representation, is a good thing or a way forward.
It's ironic this comes as the Māori roll is open to be signed, you get to choose what roll you would like to be on. The madness being there is no real criteria, if you feel Māori you can sign up.
Not just that, but the Māori seats are, of course, currently held by Labour. And it's a mainstream party that is no more or less representative of Māori than any other. And when Māori had a Māori Party specifically geared up to represent their needs, hopes and aspirations they booted them out of office.
MMP has never given us a broader racial representation, our Parliament is full of every gender, age, race and political outlook. If you want diversity you have it right here, right now.
And because of that these tired old arguments about Māori being under represented, not fairly heard, lacking in policy, are well and truly redundant.
Of course it has never been illegal for anyone including Māori to stand, but that hasn't stopped the political correctness and hand-wringers trying to line up a racially stacked argument in favour of special treatment.
And surely the ultimate irony has always been that if you flipped it, if you excluded Māori or any race from representation, there would be outcry, fury, if not civil war.
And yet they stand here, in 2018, telling us that being able to single out a race and offer them something none of the rest of us can have is a good idea and a proactive way forward.
Well thank the good Lord for democracy. 69-30. That's what the majority of us say to that sort of insanity.
