Clendon David: Local Electoral (Maori Representation) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Clendon David: Local Electoral (Maori Representation) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:664;Page:11799] 
DAVID CLENDON (Green) 
: 
 Kia ora koutou. I am very pleased to stand for the Greens to tautoko the Local Electoral (Maori Representation) Amendment Bill and to commend Te Ururoa Flavell and his party on bringing it to the House. 
This bill aligns perfectly with Green Party policy which states that we will promote and support guaranteed tangata whenua representation in local governance. The bill is timely coming as it has hard on the heels of the Auckland super-city legislation. The Government had an opportunity to establish dedicated Maori seats on Auckland Council which will represent about one-third of New Zealanders but chose not to support the inclusion of the seats despite the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance and the very solid and sound rationale that the commission used in coming to that point of view. This bill creates another opportunity to at least debate the issue. If we could persuade the National Government to support it it would provide another opportunity to guarantee Maori a place at the decision-making tables throughout this country. 
The Human Rights Commission recently in its annual review of race relations identified Maori participation in local government and an effective voice for Maori in the decisions of the new Auckland Council as being among the top 10 race relations priorities for 2010. That is very strong language given the number of race relations issues that exist in this country—Maori participation in local government was among the top 10. The commissioner went on to say that unless positive steps were taken Maori representation in local government would continue to languish well below the proportion of Maori in the population. 
The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance considered the precedent of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council—Environment Bay of Plenty—which as has been referred to has had guaranteed Maori seats since 2004 on the same basis that the Maori seats in this House were established. The evidence of the council to the royal commission was that the system was working extremely well in the Bay of Plenty. The chair of the council Mr John Cronin was quoted as saying: “The system works well for us. It has been a catalyst for an improved relationship between the Council and Maori.” He went on to say that the Maori councillors had proven their worth both to Maori and to non-Maori and that they appeared to have given Maori a sense of participation and a sense of belonging in the democratic process that they did not have before. He said that the Bay of Plenty Regional Council was a richer democracy for their participation. 
It is well known that participation in local body elections in New Zealand is low; the percentage averages in the high 30s to the low 40s. Maori participation is lower still. The evidence is before us in the Bay of Plenty that improved participation from guaranteeing Maori seats does bring that richer democracy that Mr Cronin talked about. This bill is an opportunity to spread that richer democracy throughout the country. 
We need only to look at the quality of the councillors who are filling some of those seats in the Bay of Plenty to see that democracy. I think of Tiipene Marr and Raewyn Bennett. They are two regional councillors who have brought a unique perspective to that council and who have brought to that decision-making council such issues as the disgrace that is the Tarawera River. Their unique breadth and depth of knowledge about the culture the landscape and everything and anything to do with the environs of that place has brought extraordinary value to the decision making of that council. That is an example of what could exist in the rest of the country to the benefit of all of us. 
There are those in the Bay of Plenty who disagree with the provisions of guaranteed Maori seats. One of those is a sitting councillor who confessed that he is opposed in principle to separate Maori representation but acknowledged that in practice it works very well. He went on to say that Maori and Pakeha have learnt to respect each other and that both councillors and staff have learnt a lot. 
Nobody disputes the value of Maori seats in this House in the central government chamber. There is no reason that we ought not to carry that through to local governance both on the basis of strengthening Treaty relationships and for the very practical positive benefits that Maori representation could bring to local governance in this country. Kia ora koutou.