In any democracy the voting system is sacrosanct and needs protecting to prevent those in power from manipulating it. Since establishing Maori wards changes the voting system, whereas establishing general wards does not, petition rights only apply to Maori wards, not general wards. To remove petition rights exposes the electoral system to abuse by self-serving politicians – the very reason the safeguards were introduced in the first place. Once petition rights are abolished, left-leaning councils could use Maori wards to create a permanent balance of power in Labour’s favour. Certainly, her new legislation, the Local Electoral (Maori Wards and Maori Constituencies) Amendment Bill, destroys the notion of community involvement.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 08, 2021 09:33 UTC