Today, the Green Party is announcing a member's bill, in the name of Hūhana Lyndon, to entrench Māori seats in law.
"Entrenching Māori seats in law is only a start, but a necessary one," says the Green Party's Māori Development spokesperson, Hūhana Lyndon.
"A thriving democracy, one which we can all be proud of, requires that all people participate in ways that make sense to them. Entrenching Māori seats protects that right for generations to come.
"This Bill aims to correct a constitutional imbalance of the treatment of Māori seats. General Electorate seats are currently entrenched. Māori seats are not. That's not democracy; it is constitutionally flawed, and prejudices Māori in the electoral system.
"The Bill also implements the recommendations of the Independent Electoral Review 2023 to allow Māori to switch rolls at any time, and vote on a different roll for local elections.
"The coalition government have ignored the real issues with our electoral system and independent recommendations to fix them.
"Parliament has decided that some provisions of electoral law, such as the voting age and the method of voting, are so important, that they can only be changed with the support of 75 per cent of MPs instead of the usual 50 per cent. Currently, Māori seats can be abolished by a simple majority.
"What we do with our democracy matters, who we shut out and who we afford special privileges shape the decisions made in Parliament and the direction this country is taken in.
"With the coalition making every possible attempt to undermine te Tiriti and Māori voices, the time is now to implement independent recommendations to protect and strengthen the Māori roll.
"It is high time that Luxon stood up for the good of our nation and upheld the dignity, meaning and integrity of our founding agreements. As such, I look forward to his support for this Bill," says Hūhana Lyndon.
