Waikato District Council Media Release, 8 March 2012
The Waikato District Council is holding a poll to see whether it should introduce Maaori wards for the next two triennial elections in 2013 and in 2016.
The 42,000 eligible voters will have until noon on Wednesday 4 April to return their postal vote.
Voting documents can be returned by post or hand delivered to the following locations from Tuesday 13 March 2012 to noon Wednesday 4 April 2012 during normal office hours:
- Ngaruawahia Office, 15 Galileo Street, Ngaruawahia
- Huntly Office and Library, 142 Main Street, Huntly
- Raglan Office and Library, 7 Bow Street, Raglan
- Tuakau Office, 2 Dominion Rd, Tuakau
Residents have until Tuesday 3 April (the day before the close of voting) to enrol as either a residential or non-resident ratepayer elector.
For more information on this poll, please contact the electoral officer at Waikato District Council on 0800 492 452
Why are we expected to vote with so little information? Why aren’t we being told that 1 in 4 Waikato voters (28% in Raglan) are Maori, but only 1 in 15 councillors are Maori?
Many say why don’t they just get elected. At the last local election our current councillor got support from 11% of voters. Maori environmentalist, Malibu Hamilton, got just 23 votes short of a majority with 10%. The first past the post elections without Maori wards creates a council dominated by elderly, white, male farmers. That helps explain why Waikato district had the lowest turnout of voters in the country, with less than 1 in 3 voting. It also explains the decisions about rates, buses, wharf, etc. Change is needed.
I believe an MMP type system would be better than Maaori ward seats. A mixture of geographic wards and proportional voting would deliver better democracy just as it has done nationally.
I agree, but at the moment we’re only being offered Maori seats and that only because Tainui forced the issue. WDC regularly considers proportional voting and has always rejected it.
Certainly the comment by John that 1 in 4 Waikato voters (28% in Raglan) are Maori, but only 1 in 15 councillors are Maori are pertinent.
Most disapointing is that WDC has chosen to go down the path of a poll rather than electing Maari wards then seeking 5% feedback to call for a polling vote. It is an embarrassing to WDC despite making Joint Management Agreements with Waikato Tainui that they have gone down this pathway. It appears that this Council will only be forced into it by legislation like it was with Waikato Tainui JMA. More alarmly is the fact that the information to the electors in the post out has not included any reference to the Special Vote provision. That further demonstrates that this Council does not believe in fair representation. If the Maaori Wards do get chosen; Maaori will still only have one vote like everybody else.