Māori Ward
This coming Council term will be the first time we benefit from a Māori Ward Councillor. The Māori ward will continue for the 2025–2028 Council term, but the future of the ward after 2028 will be decided by a poll of voters to be held at the same time as the Council election in October which makes this year’s vote even more significant.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the foundational document of modern-day Aotearoa New Zealand and forms an essential part of our constitutional framework. It represents an agreement that invited European settlers to share the land and gave legitimacy to the establishment of our parliamentary system.
In 2023, the eight iwi and three local Councils of Te Tauihu (Top of the South Island) came together to sign Kia Kotahi Te Tauihu — the Together Te Tauihu Partnership Agreement. This agreement reflects a commitment to working in partnership to create better outcomes for the entire community. It acknowledges both the historical and continuing effects of colonisation on tangata whenua and recognises the ways their voices and rights have been suppressed over time. By addressing imbalances in power, resources, and representation across the region, the agreement aims to move forward on a path of healing and mutual respect — building a stronger, more inclusive future for everyone in Te Tauihu.
I’ll be strongly supporting a yes vote in the Māori ward poll — to strengthen representation, uphold the principles of Te Tiriti, and ensure that decision-making includes the voices of both Treaty partners, which leads to better outcomes for all.