The Press THURSDAY, JULY, 28, 1966. The Maori Seats

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31123, 28 July 1966, Page 16

The Press THURSDAY, JULY, 28, 1966. The Maori Seats

With unprecedented frankness in public, delegates to the National Party conference debated the principle and consequences of abolishing the Maori seats in Parliament. A remit from the Clutha electorate recommended fixing by statute a date for their abolition. The supporters of the remit accepted the political implications of redistributing among European electorates the Maori votes unfavourable to the National Party. Although the party’s Maori advisory committee forecast that at least eight National seats would be endangered, many delegates preferred a party stand against segregation in the electoral system. Maori speakers urged that the desire for change should first be plain among the Maori people themselves. The remit was referred to the Maori Advisory committee for study. The Labour Party, in spite of almost certain gains in Parliament, is also averse to sponsoring the change. At the party’s conference in May, Mr Kirk said it would be time to abolish the Maori seats when Maoris were being freely elected to European seats “ not because they are Maoris but because they are “ the people with the best qualities ”, The two parties have this much in common: both believe that much has yet to be done to equate the status of Maoris generally—in education, employment, and politics—with that of Europeans. It is to the credit of the present Government that in recent years important advances have been made or begun by the Maori people as a result of action by the State. A remit to the Labour Party conference contained the germ of a solution to the whole electoral problem. It did not find favour with the conference. Enacted with another proposal endorsed by the conference it could end the political and social dilemma, slowly, but to everyone’s satisfaction. The rejected remit advocated that Maoris should have the right to choose which electoral roll they should be on. Many uncertainties among Maoris themselves about the degree of their Maori blood would become irrelevant. At present, only persons of half-Maori blood may choose their roll. The free choice ought to be irreversible, but it need not bind a subsequent generation. The second remit called for the revision of the numbers and boundaries of Maori electorates on the same principles as for European electorates. If, eventually, most Maori electors preferred to vote in European electorates it would be highly likely that Maori candidates would win some so-called European seats just because, as Mr Kirk advocated, they were considered in those electorates to be the best-qualified representatives. The remaining voters in Maori electorates, which by then might be reduced in number, need be less concerned at losing special representation. Indeed, most Maoris would have demonstrated that the distinction was no longer valid or much wanted. Complete freedom in choice of roll would remove any reproach of electoral discrimination. The change would come from the Maoris themselves and be founded on their experience. This kind of change is to be preferred to one based on any form of sampling of opinion or referendum.