Claims condemned

Press, 23 May 1989, Page 1

Claims condemned

Maori Council submissions on local government structure would, if fully implemented, mean that New Zealand was no longer a Westminster democracy, according to a University of Auckland political scientist, Professor Graham Bush.

Writing in the “New Zealand Local Government” magazine, Professor Bush condemned the submissions as repugnant to the basic democratic principle of one person/one vote with power vested in the majority. The Minister of Local Government, Dr Bassett, rejected the local government claims which emerged from a national hui in

early March. Similar claims, however, including half of the local body seats to be held by Maoris, emerged in the Maori Council submissions.

The Government is still negotiating with Maori representatives and intends to introduce a separate bill dealing with the Maori role in local government later this year. Professor Bush suggested that if 10 per cent of the population was given half the power in each local authority because of the Treaty of Waitangi, the same claim could equally be made for restructuring Parliament.