Ngarewa-Packer DebbieDEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader—Te Paati Māori): Kia ora. You know when you're accustomed to privilege equality starts to feel like oppression and it starts to feel undemocratic. The truth is we live in a nation that has actively chosen to violate Te Tiriti over and over again. It is timely to unravel the racism that we have a democratic system that has been put into power without any valuable input from Māori. It's 2021. We shouldn't be debating this and a party who wants to quite honestly stand Māori seats should know better.The Māori Party is stoked that we finally will be getting rid of this racist provision in our electoral laws. This is something that Te Paati Māori have long campaigned for. I would like to commend Minister Mahuta for bringing this legislation back into the House under urgency. I'm sure a week will be enough time for the racists to speak. This is a huge win for Māori and for those who have stood up against racism and fought for mana whenua representation in local government.The Local Electoral Act as it stands is racist and discriminatory. If a local council wishes to establish Māori wards it can be voted with a referendum if 5 percent of the local electors petition for it. This provision does not allow the same to happen for general wards. Māori wards or not councils should still have long-lasting relationships with Te Tiriti partners. So this announcement is long overdue. Successive Governments have failed to act and have enabled this racist law that oppresses tangata whenua and our right to have a say in decisions that affect us. Furthermore it is absolutely archaic to believe that Te Tiriti is proportionate. In fact the question should be asked for those that are ignorant: why are we only at 14 percent population?This law has been used by racist organisations like Hobson's Pledge to undermine our rights and prevent Māori from having a say in local government decisions. While we do have guaranteed political rights at a national level this has not translated into local government. The United Nations has even highlighted Aotearoa's extremely poor indigenous representation in local government. I would like to acknowledge local politicians and allies like Andrew Judd who for two years and 262 days reminded us all daily of this and of course the grassroots and tangata whenua leaders who have carried this kaupapa for Māori wards—the Punas the Dinis the Hepas the Elijahs. Local governments are willing and ready to take leadership in giving Māori a guaranteed voice in their rohe. We have already seen dedicated Māori wards being adopted by councils around the country to great success.This amendment is a good first step today towards embodying Te Tiriti o Waitangi at a local level and returning the balance of power to mana whenua. However it does not guarantee Māori representation or necessarily restore any mana whenua rights. So it must be seen as a first step only in returning power to tangata whenua to their rohe or crossing that bridge. It should be compulsory on councils—or at least compulsory to have mana whenua reps.Finally we would like to say that we're not even sure why this would be going to select committee; it should just go through. Therefore Te Paati Māori commend this bill to the House. Kia ora rā.