Summarised by Centrist
Commentator Geoff Parker, who describes himself as “a ratepayer and a staunch supporter of democracy”, voices concern about what he described as “misinformation” and “half-truths” regarding the recent Whangarei District Council (WDC) meeting focused on the retention of Māori wards.
Parker challenges the idea of a Crown/Maori partnership and refutes claims that Māori chiefs did not cede sovereignty in the Treaty of Waitangi.
Parker also disputes the fairness of Māori wards, labelling them as “blatant racism” and warning of a “stealthy creep for control of Council” by Māori activists. He warns that the push for Māori wards could lead to further division and unrest in New Zealand society.
He notes that in the early days of NZ’s democracy, because very few Māori had an individual property qualification it is true that initially few had the right to vote.
Around 1867, the rules were changed, allowing Māori men who held land in common—according to Parker, this was most Māori men—to be enfranchised. Yet, the rules for settlers remained unchanged.
As a result, for about 12 years, nearly all Māori men had the right to vote, while many settlers did not. Parker writes that it was the settlers, not the Māori, who were at a disadvantage during this time.
