Guaranteed Mori seats on New Zealand councils to be slashed by more than half
GuardianOCT 6
New Zealand MÄori Ward Referendum: 25 Councils Vote to Remove
Above: Hikoi members in Wellington, New Zealand, on Nov. 19, 2024. Image credit: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The MÄori ward referendums exposed a broken system where local minorities can override national democracy. More New Zealanders voted to preserve the MÄori wards than to remove them, but fragmented local voting let smaller rural districts strip away Indigenous representation. This set-up puts MÄori political participation at the mercy of those least affected by its removal.
Narrative B
The referendum results are a victory for equal democratic rights over racial division. Twenty-five councils chose democracy and common sense by rejecting race-based council seats that separate New Zealanders by ancestry. Despite the blatant media bias and institutional pressure favoring MÄori wards, voters across the country stood up for equal voting rights.