Nanaia Mahuta has confirmed the Labour government’s commitment to urgently change the law so that councils may establish Māori wards in the same way as general wards. Those in opposition have a lot to say about it – but what are they actually saying? The release from local government minister Nanaia Mahuta this week states: … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Māori wards gather momentum, the managed isolation system is effectively full, and drought on the way again in Hawke’s Bay. In the day since an announcement from local government minister Nanaia Mahuta, the concept of Māori wards has generated both momentum and opposition. In case you … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: School year beginning with added challenges, Mahuta moves against petitions opposing Māori wards, and fishing company could lose vessel over illegal trawling. Schools are beginning to go back after a summer break, and into a year that will present some deep challenges. That’ll be true whether … Read more
A woman walks into her local council office and asks if she can veto the Māori ward. That’s not the start of a joke – it’s weirdly something that can actually happen. Comedian Janaye Henry imagines how that conversation might go. Why are so many people opposed to the idea of Māori council wards? And … Read more
As the law stands, councils that have voted to establish Māori wards can have that decision overturned by a public referendum. It’s time for the legislation to go, argues Florence Dean. Aotearoa, we have a problem. A problem that lies in our local government legislation. The Local Electoral Act 2001 currently allows voters to demand … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Changes rippling through architecture of local government, ‘yellow flag’ case causes concern about Auckland outbreak, and health select committee to reconvene. To lead us off today, a roundup of a few stories taking place at local government level. It keeps going while the rest of the … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Fallout continues from Falloon scandal, significant damage to Tairāwhiti from storm, and Labour MP Raymond Huo announces retirement. Much more emerged on the scandal around outgoing National MP Andrew Falloon yesterday. The police will now be reopening their inquiries into the matter, after previously finding that … Read more
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council was the first in New Zealand to vote in Māori ward seats. This election, the region’s longest-standing Māori councillor is up against some fierce competition from a former broadcaster who’s already put his skills to use in a viral video. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by … Read more
Traditional local council structures are shutting out indigenous voices. Māori wards were supposed to be the answer – so why are so few being created? Local government elections occur every three years, and are a chance to decide who we want to represent us in our local councils. But year after year, proposals to establish … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: The government has partly made up its mind on the mega–prison, Māori wards fall short in regional votes, and midwives say the budget boost was too little, too late. The government has made a decision to not expand Wakeria Prison into a so–called mega–prison, but is … Read more
Western Bay of Plenty district council already voted in favour of Māori wards, but one councillor, the partner of Hobson’s Pledge head honcho Don Brash, is demanding a rate-payers’ poll. Let’s vote for progress, writes Graham Cameron. In our balmy autumn months in Tauranga Moana, during the commemorations for Te Weranga (the 1867 Tauranga Bush … Read more