Mahuta NanaiaHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Local Government): Kei ngā mana i whakatau mai nei hei whakakanohi te iti me te rahi tēnei e mihi ana ki a tātou katoa tēnā tātou. Ka whakatau i taku wairua me aku whakaaro i roto i te tongikura a taku tipuna ki te kotahi te kākaho ka whati ki te kāpuia e kore e whati". Nō reira tātou ngā mema Māori e kāpuia i roto i te whakaaro kotahi kia haere ngātahi kia haere tapatahi tēnei o ngā kaupapa i waenganui i a tātou tēnei e mihi ana ki a tātou katoa.[To the authorities who have arrived here to represent the many not present let me acknowledge you all. Allow me to settle my spirit and my thoughts with the prophetic utterance of my ancestor "A single stem can be broken but if they are gathered up in a bunch they cannot be broken." With this I thank us all the Māori members who joined together in the unity of thought so this matter could be progressed in unity amongst us I acknowledge us all.]There is a generational shift that is happening in New Zealand. It's not an age thing; it's about mind-set. Twenty-odd years ago when we debated in this House the Local Government Act introduced by then Sandra Lee completed by Chris Carter there were a number of challenging conversations that we were having like inserting the Treaty of Waitangi into that Act and also making provision for Māori wards and dare I say single transferable vote to be a part of the consideration of the local body local government system. I was disappointed to hear some of those same views that were represented 20 years ago being represented in this House in this particular debate.What was absolutely evident to me and it was somewhat reflected in the views and perhaps the fear of many who submitted in this process that there still remains a diversity of views across New Zealand about issues like this. But binary views exist because there are polarised attitudes towards fundamental things like the place of the Treaty in our country.I want to acknowledge the Māori Affairs Committee stewarded through by Tāmati Coffey the clerks all the members who took time to listen to the views that were presented because it signified the level of challenge that we have as a Parliament to try and make this country a better place than what we've inherited. Certainly that's what I'm committed to do. Not many members get the chance to rectify legislation in a way where as was referred to in 2002 we thought we were making incremental yet positive steps towards making a difference. Twenty years later we've realised how onerous some of the barriers within that legislation were to achieve the outcome which was in this instance creating Māori wards and constituencies. Rick Barker said it best during the select committee process "Had I had known then in terms of what I know now that that 5 percent poll was a barrier far too great I would have never had voted for it." And that was one of my colleagues who at the time was in a much more senior position than me and I want to call on his reflection because experience counts for a lot. We are in a place of privilege in this House. We have the benefit of getting the full sum of information and trying to debate the issues—play the ball not the man—in a way where it provides clarity. I fear that some of the debate that emerged on this particular bill actually brought up some of those old mind-sets that do our country no service whatsoever. This bill does exactly what I had announced in Taranaki at the beginning of February. It was the first step towards removing a discriminatory poll which proved a barrier too high and could overturn council resolutions to establish Māori wards and constituencies. And time and time again through the submission process even a member in the House said that when these campaigns happened within many communities people were being imported into communities with a very stiff mind-set a very certain mind-set not to have Māori wards and constituencies established.The other thing that I indicated and it's in the legislative statement was that there is another stage following because we need to look for an enduring solution. This solution was driven by the reality that nine councils would have to go to a poll and they were worried that the costs would be too great and if Parliament or if the Government was of the mind to make the change could they do it to give clarity? And we acted—we acted in a way that 21 councils identified the merits of going down this path albeit through a truncated process. We acted in a way that sent a very clear signal that the time has now come and the debate has been long and hard-fought that councils themselves see the merit of adding another option to the suite of measures to increase Māori participation in local government decision-making.There is another stage. It will go through the whole process. I heard the comment of the member saying "Well there's about 18 months until the next local body election." The thing is as I explained during the committee stages that period of time is required for the representation review process to commence and then if there's an appeals process for the Local Government Commission to hear that appeals process and then be ready for the 2022 elections. That's as long as it's going to take.But here's the thing: in a very practical way many communities and councils recognise the importance of improving the way in which they are creating new conversations and new solutions to some pretty complex challenges at a local level and they are saying "It is time that we entertain the real opportunity for Māori being at the table and participating in decision making." And I welcome that. Like many of my own colleagues we can speak to examples within our own communities where this really matters.But let me come back to some acknowledgments. Those who are no longer in the House but were a part of bringing this type of change forward—Sandra Lee a former local government Minister; Mita Ririnui who stewarded through a local bill creating two wards in the Bay. Can I also acknowledge Marama Davidson who in 2017 while unsuccessful in getting her bill through even though we supported it it was another way of getting this particular issue on the table. Then there's Andrew Judd; Stuart Crosby and Dave Cull from Local Government New Zealand; Karen Thomas for Taituarā; Bonita Bigham for Maruata; ActionStation—so many people.And then and this gave me great pride if ever there was a reason to ensure that we had increased Māori representation around the table. Nā wai i whakakanohi tērā karere? Ko ngā wāhine.[Who represented that message? It was the women.]The women who presented to the select committee were so strong: Puna Wano-Bryant Bonita Brigham Precious Clark dare I say Tipa Māhuta Toni Boynton Gina Rangi Raewyn Kapa Te Aniwa Tutara Prue Kapua. All of those women know what it is to have their voices excluded from critical areas of decision making. They were unflinching in their passion and their tenacity and their clarity as to why we would do this—to make New Zealand a better place to ensure that voices wouldn't be locked out to ensure that Māori wouldn't have to feel like a second-rate citizen when they are contributing to decision making around the table. They did it with a level of conviction that there was no fear in their voices; there was only confidence and there was only strength. I'm so proud of that as a Māori woman.I also want to acknowledge the work of the clerks and the Department of Internal Affairs' officials who were able to give good information even though it wasn't called on by every member of the select committee—like for example identifying based on the current formula those councils and the number of seats that would actually be able to be created under the current context. Here's the thing in the South Island—and the members on the other side saw that—there would be a challenge because of the way in which the formula applied. So I guess that's why the point was made about mana whenua reputation.But I can say this: every iwi has the capacity to engage with councils on Resource Management Act issues and the like. And while one iwi might say "We don't want Māori wards and constituencies; we have other arrangements." that should not deny other iwi or other Māori within a community from wanting Māori wards and constituencies. Do not play the divide-and-rule game because it is an and-and.But here's the thing again: many Māori who are currently participating at whatever level in local government have the best intents and purposes for the whole community. Māori do not operate in a vacuum. I'm so proud to stand by my colleagues who believe that the Treaty is a fundamental part of the shape and nature of our democracy that the changes we are making are another step forward towards improving the way in which decision making can occur and better inform the way in which our society could be because we want New Zealand to be a better place to live in.Waiata"