Long-time Māori ward proponent Peter Moeahu brought his great-grandchildren Te Kerei Rangimaia Edwards and Ohia Whatitiri to Te Kāhui Matauraura to get the mokopuna comfortable sitting at council tables for their iwi Ngāti Maru, Ngāruahine, Taranaki and Te Ātiawa. Photo: LDR
Iwi representatives have praised councillors across Taranaki for bravery and boldness in standing against changes to the law on Māori seats at council tables.
All four Taranaki councils have declared opposition to the government's decision, which would make every Māori ward again able to be blocked by a public referendum, triggered by a petition of 5 percent of voters.
As the region's tribal and elected leaders addressed the parliamentary select committee on the law change this week, the New Plymouth and South Taranaki iwi committees met for the first time since those councils declared their opposition.
Gina Blackburn, the Ngāti Mutunga representative on New Plymouth District Council's Te Huinga Taumatua, had been in the chamber when every councillor voted to oppose it.
"I'd just like to thank the bravery of our councillors to speak from their heart on the day," Blackburn said.
The elected members spoke of the value Māori wards brought to the entire community, she said.
"How far we've come as a community over the last 10 or so years.
"To come to come to a point where it's a unanimous decision that we oppose having these changes made by a government who would like to remove us from these spaces once again."
No other type of council ward is subject to petition and referenda, and two-thirds of the country's mayors oppose the idea.
New Plymouth's Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa ward had a difficult birth, with a 2014 bid being voted down by referendum under the rules the government wants to restore.
In 2020, the council again adopted a Māori ward. Jacinda Ardern's government changed the referendum law so the ward became a reality in the 2022 election.
Ngāti Maru representative and Te Huinga Taumatua co-chair Tamsyn Pue said she was "truly proud" of the council's unanimous stand.
"Can I just congratulate all of our awesome councillors as well for being so brave and so bold and decisive in your decision to support such a really important kaupapa for the nation.
"I've said it before about you leading the way, about our council New Plymouth District Council particularly leading the way and I stand by that: you just continue to really impress us."
Both also praised inaugural Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa councillor Te Waka McLeod who Blackburn said had made "it look really easy in an environment that is very difficult to navigate".
Similar praise came the following day at South Taranaki District Council's Te Kāhui Matauraura committee from Taranaki iwi representative Peter Moeahu, who was an early campaigner for Māori wards.
"It is a tremendous reflection of us coming together as a broader community - and Māoridom, in particular, are just so thrilled that all of the councils of Taranaki have said that they support Māori wards."
"But in particular I want to thank this council. Seeing how far this council has grown, from 40-odd years ago to where we are now."
Mayor Phil Nixon recalled that in November 2020 South Taranaki was the first council to unanimously vote in Māori wards, and did so under the rules the Government want to put back in place.
"We have been there. We've tested it with our community. We've been through that."
Opponents failed to gather signatures from 5 percent of voters to force a referendum.
"I think we got down to three in the end, which was Ruapēhu, Gisborne and ourselves that were all under that old legislation, which is what the new Government is proposing.
"Why should we have to now spend a minimum of $60,000 and just redo what we already did under that legislation?"
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.