The repeal of Māori wards is likely under a National-led government.
It comes as ACT today pledged to repeal the wards which were first put in place in 2001.
They were introduced in a bid to ensure Māori are represented in local government decision making.
Today, when asked about ACT’s policy, National leader Christopher Luxon said his party’s position was that New Zealand was “one country” and a democracy with one person, one vote.
“We’ve opposed [Labour’s law change] through the course of the last Parliament. We don’t believe that that’s fair or democratic.”
The law change he was referring to was the 2021 stripping of a provision which allowed communities to veto Māori wards in a vote.
Asked for clarification, if that meant Māori wards would be repealed under a National government, he said: “That’s been our view and our position”.
Elected representatives can review the representation arrangements of a council roughly every six years through a representation review, which is a mandatory part of local government law.
Through that process - which includes mandated public consultation - Māori wards can be established or removed.
The law limits the number of Māori ward seats to be proportionate to the local population on the general and Māori electoral rolls.
Earlier, ACT Party leader David Seymour said “ACT will repeal race-based Māori wards altogether."
"Labour has been unapologetically undemocratic about local Māori representation.
Seymour added that by repealing the ability for the 5% veto, Labour had repealed a "democratic provision".
"Labour deliberately engineered the law in order that some people will get elected based on who their great-grandparents were – not on what they do, but who they are. Not on the value and the dignity inherent in every individual person, but on membership of a collective. Those are not democratic values."
According to law firm Tompkins Wake, in the 20 years to 2021 when the law provided for the establishment of Māori wards constituencies in local government, 24 councils attempted to establish Māori wards, and just three succeeded.
At the 2022 local government elections, 29 local councils and six regional councils had Māori wards.
*Correction an earlier version of this story said ACT and National wanted to reinstate the veto provision, not scrap Māori wards altogether.
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