NZNO seeks your feedback on the above Bill which aims to give Māori electorates seats the same protection as General electorate seats. Currently, the general seats, under the Electoral Act can be abolished only by an entrenched majority of 75 percent or more, but the Māori seats can be removed by a simple majority of 50 percent. The Bill seeks to address this discrepancy.

This is an important constitutional issue, and we ask members to consider carefully what the removal of these seats would mean to Māori, their health and wellbeing, to te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership and the culture and values that have shaped and define Aotearoa New Zealand. Although we are a long way from health equity - (see MoH health status indicators), parliamentary representation has given Māori a ‘voice at the table’ that they might otherwise not have had and Māori MPs have played a critical role in health services for Māori.

The Bill can be found here:

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/member/2018/0056/latest/DLM4333802.html

Please send feedback to leanne.manson@nzno.org.nz by 7th December 2018