OPINION: Māori ward debate addresses ignorance and inclusion

Tuesday, 1 May 2018

Andrew Judd and Don Brash debated Māori wards in local government on Māori Television on Monday night.

As the Palmerston North City Council and Manawatū District Council wrestle with a proposal to establish a Māori ward, Andrew Judd challenged Don Brash to a debate on the issue. Jane Matthews analyses the outcome.

OPINION: Are separate local government Māori wards fair or racist?

The battle for Māori wards in councils has sparked a passionate debate between Hobson's Pledge spokesperson Don Brash and former New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd.

That was the question former New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd and former National and ACT Party leader Don Brash debated on Māori Television on Monday night. It is also a question I spent most of Tuesday morning mulling over.

Judd, who calls himself a 'recovering racist', thinks Māori wards in both local and central government are fair and, more than that, necessary.

*** Judd backing campaign for Māori wards in Manawatū and Palmerston North

* Hobson's Pledge doesn't practise what it preaches**

Brash is part of the lobbying group Hobson's Pledge that says: he iwi tahi tatou - we are now one people. He thinks Māori wards show separation and are racist.

Judd challenged Brash to a debate as he was among those who opposed the Palmerston North City Council and Manawatū District Council's decision to establish a Māori wards, forcing a binding referendum on the matter. Māori wards are a controversial issues because new wards are decided by councils, but Māori wards are the only ones that can be subject to a referendum.

In kicking off the debate, Brash said local Māori wards are racist because they separate a group, and it's based on race.

'Representation based on race is something which fundamentally violates New Zealand constitution,' Brash said. 'Here's a law which gives councils the right to create racially based representation. I think they should have the right to vote on that question.'

While I thought this was a good point it was quickly quashed by Judd's argument that without Māori representing Māori rights in local government how would they be looked after?

'Without Māori at the table decisions aren't fully informed and they're not fully inclusive,' Judd said. 'As pākehā we're broken - we always have been mate, and only us can fix it and the only way to do that is being at the table together.'

When Judd was mayor of New Plymouth his council voted in favour of establishing a Māori ward but the decision was overturned by a binding referendum. This is part of the reason he thinks Māori wards should not be decided by a public poll.

'The system, is it based on race Don? Or our race as pākehā, because it suits us?' Judd said. 'And we've put a little wedge in there so we can stop Māori having a voice.'

After their first remarks I had Judd leading the debate 2-1.

Further on in the debate Brash said having a Māori ward was patronising. 'You're assuming that Māori can't get elected in their own right,' he said.

There are 29 Māori in government at the moment and 23 of those got there in general seats, which Brash said was a good example of Māori not needing their own ward.

Judd disagreed, and so do I.

'Those people weren't standing to represent Māori as Māori,' Judd said. 'But would they have [the seat] if they stood up as Māori and they stood to be voted to represent Māori?'

Again I scored the exchange 2-1 in favour of Judd.

Brash's main argument was he sees a world where everyone has the same rights, which is why he doesn't accept Māori having separate wards.

'I want a country, irrespective of ancestry, that has the same political rights,' Brash said. 'That to me is fundamentally our future.'

While perhaps idealistic, I liked the sound of this and gave Brash a point.

But there were two lines that sealed the deal for me, and gave Judd the edge and another point on the tally.

When Judd said: 'Don, I can't speak for Māori, so how can I make decisions based on our treaty, our obligatory or relationships, without Māori at the table?' It was the most realistic thing I'd heard during the debate.

And then Brash finished, digging his own grave, by saying the Māori electorate in general government should have 'gone long ago' - which would mean no definite, specific voice for Māori.

That to me stunk of ignorance, not inclusion. Where would the Māori voice come from?

By my tally Judd won the debate 5-3.