Prebble and Jones on Rotorua bill

Two former Labour MPs have their say. First Richard Prebble:

Last week only one issue was so urgent that a select committee needed to meet in Parliament’s recess. The Māori Affairs Select Committee met to consider the Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangement) Bill. The purpose of the bill is to reduce the value of my vote.

The bill proposes, among other things, to create a Māori ward and a general ward both electing three councillors. There are 21,700 voters on the Māori roll and 55,600 voters on the general roll. My vote will be worth 39 per cent of a vote in the Māori ward.

It might be the first time in the last 100 years that Parliament has voted for a bill to reduce the value of the vote of a segment of the population. Rotorua already has three Maori seats mandated for them – this bill is about reducing the power of those on the general roll.

Parliament regards just six provisions as so important for democracy that they can be only changed by the vote of 75 per cent in parliament or by a majority in a referendum. One such provision is clause 36 of the Electoral Act that guarantees everyone, regardless of race, has an equal vote.

This is an important point. At a national level equality of suffrage is deemed so vital, nothing less than 75% of Parliament can change it. But at a local level, Labour and Greens can end it within a few weeks.

The mayor is ignoring no taxation without representation. The general roll voters provide most of the council’s rates. Why should we pay rates if we do not get an equal say in how our rates are spent?

And this is one problem with ending equality of suffrage – a minority will get to determine how much tax the majority must pay.

And Shane Jones:

In short, this Bill proposes to circumvent the Local Government Act and ditch the principle of one person one vote. According to the council, there are 21,700 voters on the Māori roll and 55,600 on the general roll in their boundaries. It is proposed that the former will elect three members from a Māori ward and the latter will elect three members from a general ward onto the council. Do the math yourself, it’s a definite ethnic gerrymander.

That’s a good term for it.

This local Bill must have been discussed and approved by the Labour Party caucus. There is no constitutional duty on a political party to rubber-stamp local bills – certainly not one this contentious. The Rotorua council was deeply divided over this Bill. It should never have got onto the floor of our House of Representatives. It seeks to weaken the very principles that legitimise the existence of MPs.

This is a key point. Labour discussed this bill in caucus. They knew it ends equality of suffrage in New Zealand, and they all voted for it. They could have voted it down at first reading.