Whanganui Māori ward candidates (from left) Julia Herewini, Phil 'Bear' Reweti, Kiritahi Firmin and Geoff Hipango during a Whanganui Residents and Ratepayers Association event this week. Candidate Hayden Potaka was absent. Photo / Mike Tweed
Whanganui Māori ward candidates (from left) Julia Herewini, Phil 'Bear' Reweti, Kiritahi Firmin and Geoff Hipango during a Whanganui Residents and Ratepayers Association event this week. Candidate Hayden Potaka was absent. Photo / Mike Tweed
Whanganui’s election officer has apologised after Māori ward candidate profiles were left out of the booklet accompanying voting papers.
Regional election officer Warwick Lampp said the names of the five Māori ward candidates were on voting papers, but their candidate profiles were missing from the booklet.
“Thebuck stops with me,” Lampp said.
“I take complete responsibility for the error and apologise to the candidates and Māori ward voters for any confusion.
“Unfortunately, the error occurred in the proofing and printing process.”
It is the first time the Māori ward will feature in the Whanganui local election, with Kiritahi Firmin, Julie Herewini, Geoff Hipango, Hayden Potaka, and Phil ‘Bear’ Reweti competing for two seats.
“When you open your book, you will not see any of us featured, and our information for you to read and peruse in order to make decisions,” she said.
“Quite frankly, we were a bit upset about that. Probably more than a bit upset.”
Warwick Lampp says he takes full responsibility for the error. Photo / NZME
She said Lampp had called the candidates and taken responsibility, and the error was made by Electionz, not the Whanganui District Council.
Firmin suggested that the entire community should receive the information, Herewini said.
“Those candidate profiles help articulate why we should be sitting around the table, and to assure you we are here for the whole of the community.
“We’ve all been working incredibly hard, not to raise our own profiles, but to raise the profile of the Māori ward and the importance of having representation around the table.”
At the candidates’ evening, Firmin said she was disappointed by the mistake.
She said her Pākehā Tangata Tiriti friends wanted to know the candidates’ stories about why the Māori wards were so important - “equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi”.
Lampp told the Chronicle on September 10 that, in Electionz’s view, it was appropriate that the letter and candidate information only be sent to those “materially affected”, which were people on the Māori roll.
He said when the profile book was compiled, elections were added that copied candidate names.
“The election timetable must be postponed until this is done, and an independent review must be undertaken into this serious breach.
“It’s just not good enough to suggest it’s an administrative hiccup.”
He said a new booklet should be sent to all the district’s electors, not just those on the Māori ward.
“A failure to act on these points will leave us with no option but to pursue urgent legal relief to bring a halt to this election until we can see fairness and we can see democracy in action.”
Lampp said it would be inappropriate for him to respond to Mair’s comments.
In a statement, Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford said the omission was incredibly disappointing, and he was insisting on immediate action by Electionnz to address the situation.
“I will be meeting with the managing director of Electionnz this afternoon (September 10),” he said.
“Just over half of submissions received when we consulted our community last year were in favour of Māori wards, and we’re concerned this incident could have a negative impact on this year’s referendum.”
He said while it was not a council mistake, he apologised to the Māori ward candidates and voting community.
“This is not a mana-enhancing way to treat our Māori ward candidates, who’ve taken the courageous step of putting themselves forward.
“I acknowledge that Electionnz have been quick to acknowledge their mistake and to issue their own apology.”
Langford said he supported calls for a review of this incident.
Voting opened on September 9, with voter packs in the process of being delivered.
Voting closes at midday on October 11.
A special vote is required for those who did not enrol by August 1.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.
