Hobson’s Pledge Trust
hobsonspledge.nz
Despite a barrage of emails urging caution, councillors in Kaipara, Whangarei, and Ruapehu have decided, without a mandate, to introduce Maori wards.
These councils join the Northland Regional Council, which voted for a separate Maori seat on Monday, October 20, the Tauranga City Council (August 25), and the New Plymouth District Council (July 21).
Meanwhile, the Far North District Council decided to include a referendum on the issue at the next election.
Citizens have a right to petition for a vote on the proposals and signatures are being collected in New Plymouth, Tauranga, and campaigns are being organised in Northland, Whangarei, Kaipara, and Ruapehu.
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta this week repeated her threat to remove the right to a petition by amending the Local Electoral Act 2001.
By signalling such an intention, Mahuta seems ignorant of the fact that the petition rights she wants to repeal are an important democratic safeguard, introduced by Helen Clark’s Labour Government, to protect voters from councils wanting to change constitutional arrangements without a mandate from their community.
There are legitimate and illegitimate ways to attempt to change constitutional arrangements such as a voting system.
A binding referendum would be a legitimate process.
Deals stitched-up after elections without changes having been signalled to voters by parties before the election, on something as fundamental as changing constitutional arrangements, are totally illegitimate.
We need volunteers in Northland, Whangarei, Kaipara, Ruapehu, Tauranga, and New Plymouth to collect signatures.
Thank you to all of you who emailed Northland councillors.
Volunteers are needed in all areas to collect signatures. Please go to admin@hobsonspledge.nz to volunteer.
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