Standing for Māori wards

KEEP MĀORI WARDS: Ngapera Rangiaho, Tu O’Brien and Toni Boynton will all stand again for their Māori Ward seats in the October election. Photo Alisha McLennan E5533-01

News Editor

The Whakatāne district’s three Māori ward councillors have confirmed they will be restanding at the upcoming election.

After a successful term on the Whakatāne District Council, Kāpū-te-rangi Māori ward councillor Toni Boynton, Toi ki Uta Māori ward councillor Ngapera Rangiaho and Rangitāiki Māori ward councillor Tu O’Brien are keen to return and are calling on the community and whānau to not only vote generally, but to stand with them in voting to retain Māori wards.

Toni Boynton, who is nearing the end of her second term on the council, considers it a privilege and an honour to have served her community as the Kāpū-te-rangi Māori ward councillor.

Before Māori wards seats existed, she ran, unsuccessfully, for a general seat in the 2019 elections.

“We had 17 Māori run for seats then, and none of us pushing a Māori world perspective got in,” she said.

Since Māori wards were established in 2021, Ms Boynton said three councillors bringing a Māori world view had been guaranteed seats on district councils across the country.

For her, it has been an enjoyable and satisfying six years. “Being in local government has been a learning curve, and our success has come from listening to our fellow councillors around the table and seeing how their understanding enhanced better decision making for all our community.”

This term, she has also served on Te Maruata, the national body of Māori elected members, and worked with several Māori governance trusts and in advocacy roles.

She said the establishment of Māori wards had lowered the rate of litigation against council by Māori whānau, iwi and organisations because there was now a flow of information coming via the ward councillors during decision-making.

“It saves the ratepayers thousands of dollars,” she said.

“Our relationships with wider iwi groups makes us like a conduit, able to translate what’s going on to our people, and translate to our councillors.”

She said the Māori wards referendum was “absolutely unnecessary”.

“We wish it didn’t have to happen, but it’s here.

“We really have believed our community and region see the benefit of Māori wards. Those who said it was going to cause apartheid, that we would just help Māori – all those things they said would happen, did not happen.”

Instead, she said the council had seen its relationships with iwi improve, and, internally, it had been able to look at its approaches in a new light and reassess.

Toi ki Uta Māori ward councillor Ngapera Rangiaho is restanding after seeing the importance of having a Māori perspective at the council table.

The past three years have been an interesting and worthwhile experience for her.

“You have this perspective as a community member of ‘what do the councillors do’? It entails a lot.

“My message was very simple at the beginning. I wasn’t standing initially, then I was inundated with a lot of calls asking me to stand. So, I raised my hand to say I could help.”

She wears many governance hats and is employed by Te Uru Taumatua as project co-ordinator.

Before her political career, Ms Rangiaho worked for 15 years in the healthcare sector as a community support worker, and caregiver in rest homes.

“My healthcare experience gives me insight into things we talk about around the council table, about caring for our communities,” she said.

She said she had benefitted from the support, induction and mentorship of other councillors she served with this term.

“We all bring a skill set. We all listen, ask questions, and it gives us a platform to debate. The process is really fair.”

She feels that as councillors, she, Ms Boynton and Mr O’Brien are now well-established in the community. She said she was regularly approached by the public for help, whether they voted for her or not.

As for the referendum, “bring it on.”

Ms Rangiaho said Māori wards brought a Māori world view to the council and bridged a gap between communities.

They allowed the values of whānau-ngatanga and manaakitanga to be more present on councils.

“It’s here – let’s keep it here. Grow not only in our region, but nationally.”

Tu O’Brien will be standing again for the Rangitāiki Māori ward seat, having enjoyed his first term.

“We were able to share whānau, hapū and iwi perspectives; it was an exciting and dynamic space,” he said.

Mr O’Brien is chairman of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and said going into council, he knew it would be a challenge to perform both roles simultaneously.

But he found that ultimately the roles complemented each other.

“The way I see it, anything good for whānau, hapū and iwi can only be good for the community.”

As for the Māori ward referendum, he is confident the community will strive to turn it into a positive.

“It is what it is. This is just another thing this Government has thrown at us. As Māori, we have had challenges thrown at us all our lives, and we will always strive to find a positive outcome that benefits our current and future generations.”

He said his first term in office had been a great learning curve and he appreciated the help afforded him by fellow councillors who had been in this arena a lot longer than he had.

It was also humbling to see the level of support already coming from the community, with the likes of Jack Karetai-Barett cycling to Wellington to deliver letters from rangatahi to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

“We certainly don’t do this for the money. You have to be very resilient in this space. It’s not a job, it’s a passion.”

The three councillors encourage whānau to check they are up to date on the electoral roll, and to make sure to vote.

Ms Boynton said if every one of the estimated 8000 Māori voters in Whakatāne voted to keep Māori wards, the referendum would be won.

Ms Rangiaho said the importance of voting was a conversation that started at whānau level.

“This starts inhouse, having a conversation with family at the dinner table, over a barbecue. Make it a whānau affair to go out and vote.”

They also encourage community members wanting to make a difference, to stand for community boards and council seats.

“If you have a strong background in governance, love reading and a drive for community and being present, think about putting your name forward,” Ms Boynton said.

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