The Maori Ward Issue

Maori Ward 101

 

Wednesday evening I was invited to a discussion led by our Mayor, Andrew Judd. He introduced himself as a "recovering racist". He explained he had grown up in typical white middle-class society, where he had absorbed attitudes of looking down on Maori and making derogatory remarks whenever Maori were mentioned or referred to.

 

As newly-elected mayor, he was charged with appointing a Komiti Maori for the Council. So he took advice and investigated the options. As he read the various reports he learned a lot of history and other information that was completely new to him. It was like a "Damascus" experience.

 

He went on to explain that the statute under which the Council operates requires them to engage with Maori iwi in a meaningful way. Andrew asked, "Meaningful to whom?" There are three options:

 

1. To establish a Komiti Maori. This has been tried in the past and the Maori reaction has been that the committee is ineffective because the messages get lost on the way to the Council table. (As a former member of a Council Sub-committee I can understand that feeling).

 

2. To appoint a Maori member to each Standing Committee of Council. When Andrew suggested this to the Council, other members regarded it as undemocratic.

 

3. To establish a Maori Ward. This was the proposal the Council finally adopted. The Statute allows a petition of 5% of ratepayers (other petitions have to have 10%, pointed out the mayor) to demand a referendum, which, unlike other referenda, is binding for six years. Andrew made it clear he thinks the Statute itself is racist.

 

The petition has been presented and the referendum will be held next month. Predictions are that it will reject the Maori Ward proposal.

 

The members of the discussion went on to contribute their ideas. The group was about equally Maori and non-Maori. Most were about the reasons why some progress is needed, basically to redress the balance after 150 years of shutting Maori out from the decision-making progress.

 

In response to a request, Andrew explained how he had been confronted with several groups challenging the Council decision. He had himself challenged people with facts such as the pensions given to returned servicemen after the First World War: Maori were paid 50% of the non-Maori pension; Pakeha were given rehabilitation land and grants, Maori got nothing.

 

We left positive about the Maori Ward proposal, not because it is the final answer, but because it is a step in the right direction. And we will all be trying to persuade our neighbours to vote for it.

 

But the Statute needs challenging and amending, to remove the clear discrimination built in to the rules against the introduction of Maori Wards.

 

And more than anything, our children must be taught the true history of our nation: the struggles between Maori and Pakeha over a century and a half, the confiscation of land, the denial of "rights and privileges of British subjects" (Article 3 of the Treaty), and especially in Taranaki, the story of Parihaka: Pakeha hysteria which led to the attack, the non-violent response, the imprisonment without trial far from their homes, and the long-term economic effects on that part of the province.

 

Perhaps the most difficult problem is that absolute refusal of some non-Maori to even consider starting to think about all this. The same phenomenon is clear in many other privileged communities throughout the world, it is not unique to New Zealand. Unless we solve this problem, we pile up future social unrest for our society.

 

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