Māori Wards

A step backwards for democracy

The results of the Māori ward referendums have made one thing crystal clear: common sense still exists in parts of New Zealand, but not everywhere. Twenty-five councils across the country voted to remove Māori wards by 2028. Seventeen, however, chose to keep them. Those seventeen councils are a national embarrassment.

It’s no surprise to see the Far North keeping them. Up here, where Māori make up a the majority of the population, the outcome was predictable. What these decisions show is not strength, not pride, and certainly not progress. It shows a lack of faith in Māori themselves.

The only message Māori wards send is this: Māori cannot get into councils on merit alone. That is absolute rubbish. Māori have proven time and time again that they are capable of excelling in every field imaginable, from business and politics to crime statistics. Māori do not need a political handout to succeed.

Creating separate wards does nothing but divide people and cheapen the achievements of Māori who have worked hard to earn their place. Māori wards are patronising, condescending, and rooted in the same paternalistic thinking that activists claim to despise. It is the modern-day equivalent of patting Māori on the head and saying, “Don’t worry, we’ll make room for you, cuzzie.”

For years we have been told that equality means treating everyone the same, yet these councils are voting for separation based purely on race. How is that progress? Democracy is meant to be about one person, one vote, one standard for all. Māori wards spit in the face of that principle.

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Then there is Wellington. Tory Whanau, who rated her own mayoral performance a laughable 9 out of 10, could not even convince voters in the Māori ward to back her. Matthew Reweti beat her easily. That speaks volumes. If even Māori voters did not want her near the council table again, it is a damning reflection of how far she has fallen. Do not be surprised if she pops up next on a Green Party ticket, trying to reinvent herself yet again

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Matthew Reweti

At the end of the day, those councils who had the courage to scrap Māori wards should be commended. They listened to the people and stood up for the principle of equality. The others? They have bowed to tokenism and division, pandering to a political ideology that is doing nothing but tearing this country apart.

New Zealand should be striving to unite, not separate. If you truly believe in Māori capability and mana, then trust Māori to earn their place in democracy the same way everyone else does. Because anything less is not representation, it is an insult.

Who said no?

• Hawkes Bay Regional Council

• Horizons Regional Council

• Northland Regional Council

• Taranaki Regional Council

• Central Hawke’s Bay District Council

• Hauraki District Council

• Hastings District Council

• Horowhenua District Council

• Malborough District Council

• Manawatū District Council

• Masteron District Council

• Matamata-Piako District Council

• Napier City Council

• New Plymouth District Council

• Ōtorohanga District Council

• Rangitikei District Council

• South Taranaki District Council

• Stratford District Council

• Tararua District Council

• Tasman District Council

• Taupō District Council

• Thames-Coromandel District Council

• Waikato District Council

• Waipā District Council

• Whangārei District Council

Who said yes?

• Greater Wellington Regional Council

• Far North District Council

• Gisborne District Council

• Hamilton City Council

• Hutt City Council

• Kāpiti Coast District Council

• Kawerau District Council

• Nelson City Council

• Palmerston North City Council

• Porirua City Council

• Rotorua District Council

• Ruapehu District Council

• South Wairarapa District Council

• Whakatāne District Council

• Whanganui District Council

• Wellington City Council

• Western Bay of Plenty District Council

Correction: As pointed out by @worldiswatchu over on X, Western Bay of Plenty voted to remove the Māori ward. My source was incorrect: https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2025/10/12/majority-of-new-zealand-says-no-to-maori-wards/

Some of these results are subject to change due to special votes still being counted.

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