No chance of Maori wards
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?
