And, I think that just about does it for any councils ever voting in favour of Māori wards.
While there are the Māori seats that Māori can register to vote in during the general elections, local councils have no such feature, and many were hoping to phase it in several districts.
Over the past week, however, Palmerston North, Manawatu, and Whakatane have all voted against Māori wards.
However, I saw Palmerston North as the last opportunity for Māori wards to happen.
Palmerston North is New Zealand’s seventh biggest city and a highly liberal area. It’s both a stronghold for Labour and the left.
If a referendum can’t succeed in such a liberal area, where can it succeed?
Because racism and the misunderstanding of NZ history is still there for even the liberal kiwi. We still follow a path that’s tinged with the right. Chris Trotter saw this for the NZ political scene and aptly named his book No left turn left.
Maori wards are racist and that is that.
Racism by definition is an attitude of the more powerful towards the less powerful, so Maori wards cannot be racist.