‘Absolute tokenism’ - Pacific councillors’ dismay over losing Māori seats vote

Pacific councillors have expressed their frustration at Auckland Council's Governing Body decision to reject Māori seats in the next local election.

The amendment was put forward by Manukau Councillor Alf Filipaina, but voted down by eleven to nine votes yesterday.

Filipaina says he’s disappointed by the decision.

“They said they were against it because we need more time. We’ve been talking about this since 2017. What more time do they need?

“We don’t have a Māori voice that’s mandated to speak on Māori around the governing body table. It was just a sad day for Māori.”

Fellow Manukau councillor Lotu Fuli says she's proud of the councillors like Alf Filipain, Kerrin Leoni and Richard Hills who held the line for Māori, but Maungakiekie-Tāmaki council member Jo Bartley was less diplomatic.

"The vote against Māori seats today shows the absolute tokenism around our council table. People say they support Māori and can even rattle off a few words in te reo, but that is where Māori stay - on the outside.

"Yes, we need you for powhiri, iwi and mana whenua consultation, karakia, lovely Māori designs on buildings for when international visitors come, but when it comes down to it in sharing power, by having a place at decision making table, it’s a NO.

"Shame on those who voted against."

Some councillors wanted to wait for the election outcome. Others questioned whether the seats were necessary in addition to the Māori Independent Statutory board, which can only make decisions on a committee level, but Filipaina says this is just an excuse.

“They just used what they wanted to use to justify their vote because they don’t support Māori wards, they just say that so their community thinks ‘oh, good on them’."

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown did not vote, which Filipaina says is a decision he’ll have to be accountable for.

“That’s up to him to explain why he abstained, but I would think as the leader, as the mayor for Auckland Council and for Tāmaki Makaurau, that he would have made a decision, but that’s up to him.”

Bartley says she’s utterly disappointed for the city, and the decision overlooks how Auckland land was gifted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei 183 years ago.

“If it wasn’t for Māori we wouldn’t even have an Auckland.”

Councillor Jo Bartley says she was 'utterly disappointed' by the decision. Photo/Facebook

Later in the meeting, councillors were able to vote on a motion to reconsider Māori seats for the 2028 election, but Bartley wasn’t on board.

“I’m not supporting this. I think we had the opportunity to get Māori seats, to do the right thing, and we threw it away.”

Filipaina agrees.

“They have kicked the can down the road. Nothing’s going to happen, and I guarantee there’ll be another discussion in 2026 and everybody’s going to go ‘I need more time’.”

Further work to consider Māori representation in Auckland will now move to a Joint Governance Working Party, who will report back by December next year. But Filipaina will not see if his efforts will come to fruition.

“This is my last term, so there’ll be somebody new who will be fighting for us in the Manukau ward, let’s see what happens after this year.”