April 09, 2021
Status upgrade for Wellington Council mana whenua reps
Wellington City councillors have overcome resistance from mayor Andy Foster and voted 8-6 in favour of giving mana whenua representatives a vote on its committees.
Representatives from Taranaki Whānui and Ngati Toa Rangatira have served on the Strategy and Policy Committee and the Annual / Long Term Plan Committee without pay and with no voting rights.
Councillor Jill Day says that will now be remedied, and mana whenua representatives will serve on most other committees as well from July.
She says while all councillors supported paying the representatives, the mayor and five others took the view it was against democratic principles to give a vote to unelected members.
"Whereas we would say we know, particularly in Aotearoa, our democratic processes are difficult for minority communities. In Wellington, our proportion of Māori is low in some areas. That definitely makes it much harder for Māori to be elected and stand on platforms that need to address issues for Māori. It is very important we have opportunities for Māori voice that isn't hampered by that," she says.
The council also took the first steps towards creating Māori wards.
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