Stratford District councillors agree on submission opposing changes to Māori wards

Mayor Neil Volzke said the decision to make a submission opposing the amendment bill was unanimous. Photo / Ilona Hanne

“This is a really important consultation, and the timeline is really short.”

Stratford District mayor Neil Volzke said a five-day timeframe for consultation on a Government bill was nowhere near long enough.

He was talking about the call for submissions from the coalition Government on the controversial Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill. It opened for submissions on Friday, May 24, with a closing date of Wednesday, May 29.

At a workshop on Tuesday, May 28, he asked fellow councillors if they wanted Stratford District Council to put in a submission on it.

“You will be aware there was a letter signed by myself and over 50 other mayors across New Zealand about this as well.”

Volzke said he signed that letter, drafted by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), because he believed the proposed amendment bill was “fundamentally wrong”.

“I think it is wrong in principal for any government to effectively step in and overturn an earlier decision of council that was made sincerely and lawfully at that time. It begs the question, will there be a next time on another issue and will other council decisions be subject to retrospective legislation.”

He also agreed with the letter’s objection to the “inconsistent process” around the establishment of electoral wards, he said, with the requirement for a poll only applying to Māori wards, not other ones such as rural or urban.

At the workshop, council CEO Sven Hanne said treating one particular ward as different to any others was clearly inequitable.

“Is that not the definition of racism?”

Deputy mayor Min McKay said she was worried by the idea a government could overturn previous decisions.

“The idea they can change past decisions of past councils is really concerning.”

She supported making a submission, she said.

Councillor Ellen Hall said she was unhappy with the fact one type of ward was being treated differently to any other.

Councillor Steve Beck asked if the submission would say they were opposed to the poll.

“The submission would say we are against the principal of having a poll to establish a ward, and not having a poll to establish a different ward. We should have a poll for none, or for all,” said Volzke.

“It’s a double standard.”

Councillors decided to make the submission opposing the amendment bill.

Speaking after the workshop, Volzke said the decision was unanimous.

“Our view is clear, the same process should be used for establishing any ward, be it an urban ward, a rural ward or a Māori ward...The issue is about consistency and treating every person in the same way when establishing wards. This bill doesn’t do that.”

Disclaimer: Editor Ilona Hanne is married to the chief executive of Stratford District Council.

Ilona Hanne is a Taranaki-based journalist and news director who covers breaking and community news from across the lower North Island. She has worked for NZME since 2011.