DON BRASH: The Nail in the Coffin for Maori Seats

I don't know about you, but I have had a gutsful of the disrespect and disdain Te Pāti Māori show for our Parliament and for all of us.

With their hateful rhetoric and disruptive antics they have demonstrated that Māori seats have become the home of the most extreme race activists.

Te Pāti Māori have put the final nail in the coffin of Māori seats.

Apart from the behaviour and extremism mentioned, the very best reason we have for bringing an end to Māori seats is that we simply do not need them any longer.

Just look around the debating chamber! It is easy to find accomplished Māori leaders sitting in seats that they won in their own right. Whether they won an electorate or worked their way up their party list, they did not need a special seat reserved for them because of their race.

The views of Māori in New Zealand Parliament are as diverse as any other group. James Meager, former Speaker Adrian Rurawhe, Willow-Jean Prime, and David Seymour all have Māori heritage. Winston Peters and Willie Jackson stand on opposite sides of the House as senior list MPs for their parties. It is undeniable that Māori do not need a leg up to get proportionate representation.

Māori seats were introduced to provide specific representation for Māori in Parliament; however, in modern-day New Zealand, the current system of separate representation is divisive and no longer serves the true spirit of equality for all New Zealanders.

Every New Zealander, regardless of their race or ancestry, should have equal access to political representation. As our nation continues to grow and evolve, it's important to move beyond historical systems that no longer reflect our diverse society. The 21st century calls for unity, and the Māori seats are a legacy of a different time.

Māori seats were introduced in 1867 because at that time only men who owned property in their own name were allowed to vote. Because most Māori-owned land was owned communally, almost no Māori men got a vote. In 1867, all Māori men got the vote, whether they owned property or not.

The Royal Commission on the Electoral System in 1986 specifically recommended that, if New Zealand adopted the MMP system, there would no longer be any need for separate Māori electorates. Despite that recommendation, the Bolger Government failed to scrap them and they remain nearly 40 years later.

New Zealand’s electoral system should be based on a single principle: that each vote counts equally, and each person is entitled to fair representation. Abolishing the Māori seats moves us closer to this goal.

Te Pāti Māori would like everyone to think that without Māori seats there would be not a single Māori in Parliament. That is clearly rubbish. Every party in Parliament currently, except Labour, has had a Māori leader at some stage. Of the 123 MPs currently sworn in, 33 (by my count) are Māori.

We need to have a serious and respectful conversation about what purpose the Māori seats are serving. As far as I can tell, Te Pāti Māori are not even attempting to engage with the Government to achieve better outcomes for Māori - Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia did things differently. Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer focus instead on fomenting social disunity and trying to breach as many standing orders as possible.

If Arena Williams can win Manurewa, Tamatha Paul can win Wellington Central, and Tama Potaka can win Hamilton West, to name a few, why do we need a special spot for Rawiri Waititi to use to undermine our democracy?

Most New Zealanders will take a look at the disarray Te Pāti Māori have caused with their stunts and their defiance of the rules and agree that time is up for Māori seats.