Local government review recommends ending equality of suffrage

The Government appointed of government has come up with which seems mainly about making local government less democratic. Their recommendations include:

  • appointments to Councils to “supplement” elected members
  • Pay rises for Councillors
  • Forcing STV on all Councils even where residents have overwhelmingly voted against it

Make no mistake – is about ending equality of suffrage in New Zealand. They even denounce the concept of one person, one vote as reported in the Herald:

Panel chairman Jim Palmer said while Māori wards were valuable, mana whenua appointees were a recognition of the special place in New Zealand of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which allowed for the greater involvement of iwi and hapū in local decision-making.

“We think it's a more nuanced conversation than just ‘one person, one vote',” Palmer said.

One person, one vote, is equality of suffrage. It is a fundamental human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We should no more have a conversation around ending it, than we should have a conversation about whether should have .

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