Goldsmith on Maori seats
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:30 am by David FarrarAuckland City Councillor Paul Goldsmith has a forceful op-ed:
What’s the harm of having three Maori seats on the new Auckland City Council, as recommended by Justice Peter Salmon and his Royal Commission on Auckland Governance? In my view, plenty.
The best indication of potential harm is the bizarre suggestion democracy should be thrown out the window for one of the Maori seats so that one councillor is appointed by mana whenua.
What is the model that we’re emulating? Fiji’s Great Council of Chiefs, the British aristocracy’s hereditary rights to sit in the House of Lords? An unelected group of men from one ethnic group, and possibly one network of families, decides who goes on to the council?
I have to say that if one is to have direct Maori representation, it is reatly preferable that it be by democratic vote of those on the Maori electoral roll, not a private appointment by an Iwi.
It reflects a worrying trend. The implication in retaining democratically elected Maori seats has been that to be represented in a democracy in the same way as everyone else is not good enough for Maori. Now we are being told that having specific Maori seats is also not sufficient for Maori, there needs to be direct appointments by Maori elders as well.
Indeed. And already there are calls that one mana whenua representative is not enough, but there must be two – one for Ngati Whatua and one for Tainui. They can’t possibly share.
Related posts:
- Maori Seats on Auckland Council
- Maori Seats look set for a no
- Barton on Maori Seats
- Maori Seats for Auckland?
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:35 am
So Goldsmith will be labled a racist by our resident hang-wringing socialists, and then the MS will give higher profile to such claims than to the substance of Goldsmith’s opinion.
Vote:April 2nd, 2009 at 10:51 am
is this a joke??
Vote:April 2nd, 2009 at 10:55 am
He’s quite right that it’s not democratic.
Vote:April 2nd, 2009 at 11:39 am
Hey, what about Ngai Tahu too for us South Island immigrants?
Vote:April 2nd, 2009 at 11:51 am
This seems to be a growing trend unfortunetly. Too many spineless individuals that won’t say “fuck off” or they just want that PC do-gooder feeling.
Isn’t there more Asians in Auckland? If we’re going to be dumb enough to make 3 seats race based, they should at least be a race that actually holds the second largest population in Auckland.
Vote:April 2nd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
What about all the disenfranchised unemployed, welfare beneficiaries and disabled people? They are terribly under-represented in politics and so they should have some reserved seats too. There are no children represented either and virtually none of our senior citizens. To my knowledge no left handed, gay, physicists have graced our local body boards either.
Vote:April 2nd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Why the hell should we go down this road, fucking madness. Screw this PC crap. I have been happy to serve on many committees, on some of these committees the chair has been an elected “Maori” and they all have proved to be highly capable in their duties. I would have absolutely no respect for anyone appointed to council simply because they are blessed or cursed by their skin colour. I suspect the rate payers of Auckland would take the same attitude. It is usually not to difficult to serve on a council given drive and ambition. A rule like this simply belittles the Maori people as it is saying they do not have the ability to achieve in the outside world. This will only end in resentment by the many, anger from quite a few and tears from future generations, kick this madness to the curb.
Vote:April 2nd, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Surely the way to have maori representation would be to put maori candidates up for 23 “free-for-all” seats, and get them voted in if they’re the best candidate?
Vote: