Hobson’s Pledge spokesperson and former National Party
leader Don Brash says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon must
honour long-held National Party policy by including a vote
on the future of the Māori seats in any upcoming referendum
on the voting system.
“National has long held the
position that separate race-based parliamentary seats have
no place in a modern, equal democracy,” says Brash. “If the
Government is giving New Zealanders a say on our electoral
system – from MPP to the length of the parliamentary term
– voters must also be given the opportunity to decide
whether to retain or abolish the Māori seats.”
Under
Mixed Member Proportional (MMP), equal representation is
already built into the system, with all citizens having an
equal voice regardless of background.
“MMP has meant
that Māori MPs have been elected in strong numbers across
the entire political spectrum without needing guaranteed,
separate electorates,” says Brash. “Seven of the 12
leaders or deputy party leaders in Parliament today are
Māori, as is 30% of the current Cabinet. Separate Māori
seats are simply not needed to ensure that Māori are
represented in Parliament.”
Hobson’s Pledge is
urging Prime Minister Luxon and the Coalition Government not
to kick the issue down the road.
“New Zealanders
deserve a single, comprehensive vote on the structure of our
parliament. It is time to deliver on National’s
longstanding principle of ‘one standard of citizenship’ and
let the public
decide.”
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