20 M Ä ORI REPRESENTATIO N IN LO CAL GOVE R N M E N T Regional authority area 135 Mäori seats Current 16 Proposed 27 Northland Region 8 2 3 Auckland Region 13 1 2 Waikato Region 12 2 3 Bay of Plenty Region 13 3 4 Total Total seats Hawke’s Bay Region 9 2 3 Taranaki Region 11 1 2 Manawatu-Wanganui Region 12 2 3 Wellington Region 13 1 2 West Coast Region 7 0 1 Canterbury Region 14 1 1 Otago Region 11 0 1 Southland Region 12 1 2 Speaking in support of his bill in the House on 18 June, Flavell referred to provisions in the Local Electoral Act 2001 and the Local Government Act 2002. He also drew on the Treaty of Waitangi and Article 18 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which states that indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decisionmaking in matters which affect their rights. He said: What we are talking about here is the Treaty partner, the indigenous people of this land, being marginalised by limited representation and participation. When we talk about tangata whenua, we are not just talking about a community of interest or key stakeholders; we are talking about signatories to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. … Mäori representation is the first step towards building a Treaty-based partnership with local Mäori. (New Zealand Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), pp.11793-4). In the ensuing debate, National MP Chester Borrows said: National will be opposing [the bill] … from a position where, much as it would be happy for councils to utilise the powers they currently have to decide to have specific Mäori seats, it does not believe this should be legislated for. A community should decide whether to have Mäori seats, not the Government. (New Zealand Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), p.11795). Labour MPs spoke in favour of sending the bill to select committee, "to see where it goes" (New Zealand Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), pp.11796, 11798). Green MP David Clendon indicated his party’s support for the bill and noted: It is well know that participation in local body elections in New Zealand is low … Mäori participation is lower still. The evidence is before us in the Bay of Plenty that improved participation from guaranteeing Mäori seats does bring [a] richer democracy …. This bill is an opportunity to spread that richer democracy throughout the country. (New Zealand Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), p.11800). A motion to read the bill for the first time did not pass.