It’s been revealed that the Government, having decided against dedicated Maori seats on the supercity council, gave appointed Maori advisers votes on council committees under its supercity legislation. That’s just unacceptable, we can’t have appointees voting equally to democratically-elected council members.
Rodbey Hide is expressing surprise that the Maori Statutory Board he created, which his laws states “must appoint a maximum of two persons to sit as members on each of the Auckland Council’s committees that deal with the management and stewardship of natural and physical resources” ,has appointed voting members to all council committees.
But it’s his own fault. He is the one who drafted the law in that way. He should have realised that a member has a vote by definition and that any council committee could be interpreted as “deal[ing] with the management and stewardship of natural and physical resources”.
It’s your mess, Rodney. You were warned that your vague legislation and lack of consultation would lead to unforeseen outcomes. Now, we’ve got people appointed by a third party exercising the same power as elected officials.
Sort it out. Pronto. As you’ve been told for two years, two elected Maori-seat councillors is the best solution.
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