Jackson WillieThird ReadingHon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister for Māori Development) on behalf of the Minister of Local Government: I move That the Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill be now read a third time. This bill has been 20—possibly even 180—years in the making. In fact I recall talking on this 19 years ago—and very well as I remember. It's a bill which enables democratically elected local councils to ensure that the Māori communities can have a voice around that council table. It's a bill which provides for the expression of tino rangatiratanga which is something the Opposition do not understand. Tino rangatiratanga at a local level—as has been said many times—is an important idea and view from our people. While the bill was introduced into this Parliament only two or three weeks ago this journey has been a marathon not a sprint and it's been a relay between many people. It's been very very tough listening to the ill-informed Opposition who've come about with the most outrageous and confused views particularly over the Treaty of Waitangi. But today I want to acknowledge some of the courageous individuals who took this fight on behalf or Māori and all New Zealanders and who will feel vindicated today. First of all our Minister Nanaia Mahuta who can't be here right now deserves so much support for her courage in bringing this bill forward and fighting the fight on behalf of our local people on behalf of Māori where she has seen clearly democracy has failed Māori people. The Opposition particularly former Minister Nick Smith should understand that democracy does not always work for everyone. He would know that if he put up bills for instance like the Homosexual Law Reform Bill if it had gone to the people it would have failed miserably along with the Treaty settlements process—that would have failed miserably. Dr Smith knows this. The Waitangi Tribunal—democracy would have failed that miserably. That is your democracy at its worse—a tyranny of the majority overruling what is by principle the right thing. Today the Māori wards are by principle the right thing to do. We want to acknowledge the Hon Sandra Lee who was the Minister of Local Government and Associate Minister of Māori Affairs who generalised the provisions from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (Maori Constituency Empowering) Act so that every council could set up Māori wards if that was right for their community.In this House she spoke of the overall intent behind this local government bill which was community empowerment underpinned by the partnership of two people within one nation afforded to us by the Treaty of Waitangi. What was happening to Māori people during the last 20 years was indeed a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi. It was a breach of article 2 the tino rangatiratanga clause and a breach of article 3 which talked about equal rights for Māori. That's just for Mr Bennett who has no idea about what the Treaty of Waitangi is about.Hon David Bennett: Point of order.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: The Local Government Act 2002 made clear that our councils—Hon David Bennett: Point of order.SPEAKER: Order! This better be a point of order.Hon David Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I take offence at what the Minister's said. I have a very good understanding of the Treaty.SPEAKER: The member will resume his seat.Hon David Bennett: I've taken offence.SPEAKER: The member will resume his seat.Hon David Bennett: But I took offence.SPEAKER: If the member wants to stay in the Chamber he will resume his seat. That is a debatable matter.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Kia ora Mr Speaker. The bill now the Local Government Act 2002 made clear that our councils have an obligation to iwi and Māori and set out that there is an important role for Māori in local decision-making. This role was different when a council has a Māori ward or multiple Māori wards when the population is large enough. When a council has a Māori ward the role of Māori shifts from being merely an adviser or consultant to an equal partner Mr Bennett as affirmed in the Treaty of Waitangi.That Act which introduced Māori wards gave local communities the ability to petition their council to establish a Māori ward and for a community poll to be held. For balance the reverse was also possible. When a council established a Māori ward 5 percent of the community could petition the council for a community poll to overturn that decision. Sadly for Māori the petition right has been co-opted by campaigners who do not want them to be empowered. Every time but one when a council has tried to set up a Māori ward and provide for direct Māori input into council decision-making to give effect to tino rangatiratanga well-funded well-organised predominantly Pākehā communities have said no. That is a double standard in the law. There is no petition right when councils propose geographic communities will have a guaranteed seat at the table only when it is for indigenous communities. The law as it stands has been seen not to live up to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and so it must be changed. But before this House changes that law it's important to acknowledge the leadership of some people. Sandra Lee has been acknowledged. Andrew Judd must be acknowledged—the former mayor of New Plymouth. I admire his work and I spoke on his behalf in a major New Plymouth debate in 2015. I thank him for his partnership on this journey and note that in 2020 after Andrew had retired the council again voted to establish Māori wards. Andrew brought a petition to Parliament in 2018 seeking to change this discriminatory law. Today he will be very happy.I mihi also to Toni Boynton and ActionStation organisers for their incredible mahi. I hope you're proud of what you have achieved for our nation. I now acknowledge Local Government New Zealand particularly its former president Dave Cull. Dave is a former mayor of Dunedin and our thoughts are with him. We are grateful for the letter he sent in 2018 to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the previous coalition Government on behalf of New Zealand's local authorities. Like Andrew Judd Dave Cull called out the 5 percent law for being discriminatory unfair and totally unacceptable. A submitter to the select committee Puna Bryant said Māori wards are not a trade-off; they are a value-add. One person who knows this well is the current president of Local Government New Zealand Stuart Crosby. Stuart is a former mayor of Tauranga and current councillor for Tauranga on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. As I said earlier the Bay of Plenty Regional Council has had Māori wards for almost 20 years. Stuart has spoken of his experience which is that Māori wards add value to the decision-making process not just for Māori and iwi but for the whole community.I'd like to acknowledge my new ministerial colleague and whanaunga the Hon Marama Davidson whose member's bill to get rid of these polls failed in 2017. The House was not ready for this change at that time but I'm pleased that we are ready tonight. I wish to acknowledge the nine councils that had the courage last year despite everything else that 2020 threw at them to establish Māori wards for the 2020 local election. They did this because they determined with their local iwi that this was the next right thing for their Treaty partnership and for their community.I acknowledge these councils: the Gisborne District Council Kaipara District Council New Plymouth District Council Northland Regional Council Ruapehu District Council South Taranaki District Council Taupō District Council Tauranga district council and Whangarei District Council. And I acknowledge the 12 other councils who tried before but could not get their Māori wards across the finishing line. I also acknowledge the council chief executives and the Taituarā local elections committee which through the summer holidays helped test the workability of the bill including the new transitional provisions.Finally I would like to thank again the select committee and the 12508 people who submitted on this bill during a short select committee process. I acknowledge staff from the Clerk's office who supported that process.The bill is an idea whose time has come. It's an idea whose time has come—if we're honest it has been coming for many many years—and an idea which ensures for the expression of tino rangatira local government and removes an inequality in the treatment of Māori and general wards. This is an example of justice for our people. We have been silenced on those councils. You can go to so many councils and see strong Māori people who've put up and they never had an opportunity. Go to Tauranga; come to Wellington; go to Auckland. Our people have been silenced everywhere and now they have a chance and an opportunity of a lifetime.We thank all the members who supported this kaupapa. It's an honour to present this speech on behalf of Minister Nanaia Mahuta and on behalf of our Government. Thank you Mr Speaker. Again thanks to everyone who has supported us. Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou tēnā koutou ā tēnā anō tātou katoa.