Voting today opens for
Tauranga City Council’s by-election to determine who
will represent the Māori ward of Te Awanui following
Mikaere Sydney’s resignation earlier this
year.
Speaking on this, Sam Warren, Local Government
Campaigns Manager for the Taxpayers’ Union
said:
“Mayor Mahé Drysdale has labelled this an
exercise of local democracy. Let’s call it what it
is—undemocratic by its
definition.”
“Today should really be a
vote on Māori Wards, not which candidates will sit on them.
If the Mayor and his Councillors are confident that locals
are in favour of the wards, let’s exercise democracy and
see.”
“Whatever decision is made, locals
can then move forward together knowing democracy was
upheld.”
“As the election cycle for Tauranga is out
of sync with the rest of the country’s, the Council has
chosen to push the decision on wards until March 2027. Until
then, democracy will again be relegated to the
benches.”
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