Is it time for Māori constituencies for Hawke's Bay Regional Council?

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is consulting with the community on whether to establish Māori constituencies* before the 2022 elections.
E kōrero tahi ana Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Te Matau-a-Māui me te hapori ki te whakatau mehemea me whakatū rānei i ngā roherohenga Māori* i mua i ngā pōtitanga o te tau 2022.

Regional Councillors agreed in February to consult with the Hawke’s Bay community between 22 March and 22 April. An online campaign will be followed by public hearings of submissions on 3 and 4 May, before the Council makes a decision at its meeting on 19 May.
Nō te Huitanguru whakaae ai ngā kaikaunihera ā-rohe ki te kōrero tahi me te hapori o Te Matau-a-Māui mai i te 22 o Poutūterangi ki te 22 o Paengawhāwhā. Ka whakatairangatia mā te ipurangi, ā, ā te 3 me te 4 o Haratua rongo tūmatanui ai i ngā tāpaetanga a te hapori whānui, i mua i te whakatau a Te Kaunihera i tana hui ā te 19 o Haratua.

In February, the Local Electoral (Māori wards and Māori constituencies) Amendment Act was passed. This removed the need for a binding referendum if 5 percent of voters sign a petition as well as the ability for councils to initiate a binding poll.
Nō te Huitanguru whakamanahia ai Te Whakahounga o te Ture Pōti ā-Rohe (Ngā Tūru Māori me ngā Roherohenga Māori), me te aha, ehara i te mea me tū rawa tētahi whakataunga whānui mana mēnā ka hainatia tētahi petihana e te 5 ōrau o ngā kaipōti. Kua kore hoki nei e āhei ngā kaunihera tētahi pōtitanga mana te kōkiri.

This law change prompted the Regional Council to vote unanimously to undertake public consultation on this important issue.
Nā te panonitanga nei o te ture i whakaae katoa ai Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe kia kōrero tahi me te hapori whānui e pā ana ki tēnei take whakahirahira.

The Regional Council needs to make a decision by 21 May to take advantage of a transition period afforded by the Local Electoral (Māori wards and Māori constituencies) Amendment Act. This will ensure that, if the Regional Council vote to establish Māori constituencies, they can be established before the next election.
Me whakatau e Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe i mua i te 21 o Haratua e whai huanga ai ia ki te wā whakawhiti i raro i te mana o te Te Whakahounga o te Ture Pōti ā-Rohe (Ngā Tūru Māori me ngā Roherohenga Māori). Nā reira mēnā ka pōti Te Kaunihera ki te whakatū i ngā roherohenga Māori, e āhei ana te whakatū i mua i te pōtitanga e tū mai nei.

Over one-quarter (27%) of Hawke’s Bay’s population are of Māori descent. There are 11 iwi groups, 91 hapū and 79 marae throughout Hawke’s Bay – making a significant contribution to our region’s community, culture and economy, and as mana whenua and treaty partners.
I te taupori o Te Matau-a-Māui, neke atu i te hauwhā (27%) he uri Māori. E 11 ngā rōpū ā-iwi, e 91 ngā hapū, ā, e 79 ngā marae i te nuku o Te Matau-a-Māui – e takoha nui ana ki te hapori o te rohe, ki te ahurea me te ōhanga, ā, i runga tonu i tā rātau noho hei mana whenua, hei hoa tiriti anō hoki.

Regional Council chief executive, James Palmer says the Regional Council has an obligation to enable Māori participation in its decision-making, embedded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) and the Local Government Act 2002.
Hei tā te Tumu Whakarae o Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe, a James Palmer, he takohanga tō Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe kia whai wāhi ai a Ngāi Māori ki āna whakatau. He takohanga i whakapūmauhia e Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te Ture Kāwanatanga ā-Rohe 2002.

“How this obligation is given effect is for the Council to decide. Traditionally, Local Government electoral arrangements have not included guaranteed proportional representation for Māori in council decision-making, in the way that is currently provided for in Parliament, so this is something for the community and our Council to contemplate, says Mr Palmer.
“Mā Te Kaunihera anō e whakatau te āhua ki te whakatinanatanga o te takohanga nei. I tōna tikanga, kāore te ōrautanga Māori i whakapūmautia i ngā whakaritenga pōti Kāwanatanga ā-Rohe mā te iwi Māori i ngā whakatau kaunihera, pēnei i te Pāremata. Nā reira he whakaarotanga nui tēnei mā te hapori, ā, mā te Kaunihera anō hoki”, tā Mr Palmer.

Establishing Māori constituencies would complement the Regional Council’s existing means to engage with Māori – including the Māori Committee and the Regional Planning Committee.
He tautoko nui te whakatūnga o ngā roherohenga Māori i ā Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe whakapāpātanga ki a Ngāi Māori e tū kē nei – tae rā anō ki te Komiti Māori me Te Komiti Whakamahere ā-Rohe.

If established, only people enrolled on the Māori roll would be able to vote for a Māori constituency candidate and, likewise, only people on the general roll could vote for candidates from general constituencies.  If Council voted to establish Māori seats, the next step would be a Representation Review to determine whether one or two Māori constituencies would be established.
Me i whakatūhia ēnei, ko te hunga kei te rārangi pōti Māori anake ka āhei te pōti i te kaitono roherohenga Māori. Waihoki, ko te hunga kei te rārangi whānui anake ka āhei te pōti i ngā kaitono roherohenga whānui. Me i whakatū Te Kaunihera i ngā tūru Māori, ka whai ake ko te Tātaritanga Kanohi Kitea hei whakatau mēnā ka kotahi, ka rua rānei ngā roherohenga Māori ka whakatūhia.

More information on Māori constituencies is available online at hbrc.govt.nz. You can also see conversations about the issue at Facebook.com/HBRegionalCouncil or Linkedin.com/company/hawkes-bay-regional-council/.
Kei te ipurangi ētahi kōrero atu anō mō ngā roherohenga Māori, kei hbrc.govt.nz. He matapakinga hoki mō te take nei kei Facebook.com/HBRegionalCouncil me Linkedin.com/company/hawkes-bay-regional-council/.

The consultation document and submission form are available online at hbrc.govt.nz.
Submission forms can also be obtained by calling 06 835 9200.
Kei te ipurangi te tuhinga kōrero tahi me te puka tāpaetanga, kei hbrc.govt.nz
E taea ana hoki tētahi puka tāpaetanga te tono mai mā te waea atu ki 06 835 9200.


*Māori constituencies are the regional council equivalent of a Māori seat in Parliament or Māori ward for city or district councils.  
* He taurite ngā roherohenga Māori ki ō te Pāremata tūru Māori, ki ngā tūru Māori i ngā kaunihera ā-taone, ā-rohe rānei.

22 March 2021

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