Losing The Māori Seats Would Be a Disaster for NZ Politics

To the west of Te Ika a Maui, a battle rages between two formidable cousins.

To the south, Metiria Turei is seeking a mandate in Te Tai Tonga against incumbent Labour MP, Rino Tirikatene. To the East, three mana wāhine have pledged to go head to head to represent Ikaroa Rāwhiti. In Tāmaki Makaurau, Marama Davidson has thrown her hat in the ring to challenge Labour's Peeni Henare. The latest polling results have the Māori Party's Howie Tamati clutching the lead in Te Tai Hauāuru. Kelvin Davis and Hone Harawira are going head to head for round two in Te Tai Tokerau. And in Waiariki, Tamati Coffey is closing the gap on Māori Party co-leader, Te Ururoa Flavell.

Across the spectrum, a range of diverse Māori voices, influenced by distinct lived experiences and informed by colonisation are clamouring to represent their communities. For Māori voters, the seats are an integral tool of representation. But can the seats affect meaningful change?

The idea of Māori seats was introduced by the Crown in 1867, at the tail end of a devastating war for land. Tension over land alienation was brewing. Article Three of Te Tiriti demanded equal representation for Māori. Some believe the introduction of a certain number of seats in parliament for Māori was a genuine invitation for reconciliation and acknowledgement of legal responsibilities. Others suggest it was a ruse to mollify Māori, and placate rebels. We were given four seats from 76. Māori were, and continue to be, a minority in parliament.

The Crown ensured the path to the voting booth was more difficult for Māori to navigate. The 1852 Constitution Act meant only those holding individual land title were eligible to vote, rendering nearly all Māori ineligible, and revoking the importance of collective title. The conglomeration of hapū and iwi into four electorates undermined our social structure and caused internal disputes. Some who were elected had no mandate. Polling booths were few and inaccessible. Elections staggered for weeks and sometimes months. Āperehama Taonui, Ngāpuhi prophet, said at the time, "What are these four to do, amongst so many Pākehā? Where will their voices be as compared with the Pākehā voice?"

If the seats were proportional to the Māori population, there would have been 14 to 16 in 1867. We still have just 7. The existence of the seats is vulnerable. They are subject to unfounded, yet popular, conjecture of 'race-based' privileges. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has vowed to hold a national, binding referendum on disbandment. National want to abolish the seats once all historical Treaty claims are settled. Labour want to entrench the seats. In such an unstable climate, why persevere with Māori electorates?

Because representation is imperative to influence policy and hold the Crown accountable in the pursuit of Māori interests. Our first priority is to entrench Te Tiriti and ensure the Crown abides by its legal obligations. The number of seats needs to increase to reflect the growth in population. The current system is designed to disenfranchise Māori. We will remain a minority until Māori-led reform, a nightmare for some, is realised. It is foreign to the Māori systems of tikanga-based governance which would see Māori thrive. We cannot rely on the Māori electorates to effect change, but we must tautoko them. We need representation both within and outside parliament to push for change. Whether that materialises as a new, inclusive system of government committed to tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake is for Māori to decide.

It is natural for Māori to be pessimistic about the election outcome. Voting costs time and money which some cannot afford. The process is demoralising and has conditioned many to believe a single vote is insignificant, and a single candidate cannot be effective. It isn't hard to reconcile within a culture that prioritises the collective. Māori do not vote for the individual, we vote for our whānau. The Māori electorate candidates reflect the community diversity in their whakaaro and their approach, but they are at least committed to representing the will of Māori. For voters in the Māori electorates, we set their agenda.

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