Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta makes an announcement at the New Plymouth District Council regarding Māori wards. The Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act has passed under urgency. The Select committee hears submissions on bill proposing to ease creation of council Māori wards* In the pressure cooker of local politics, no one's going to be oppressed by Māori wards* Bridges leads National's angry response to Māori wards legislation">new law will stop binding community-initiated polls undoing Māori wards. Since the old law passed in 2001, only two of the 24 councils that tried to create the wards were successful. Labour Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson said he acknowledged the councils who tried but couldn’t get their Māori wards “across the finish line” under the old legislation.

Source: Stuff February 24, 2021 18:11 UTC