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Democracy is the central pillar of course, equal voting rights. our society. Daily I hear concerns There are at least two other from people across Canterbury deeply concerning situations that our democracy - as we have occurring right now, where the come to know it - is slowly, but Labour Government is ignoring surely, being eroded by the those rights. Labour Government. While it currently appears to be Just recently, we have seen the reluctantly walking back its Government ploughing ahead support for the undemocratic with its plans to confiscate Rotorua District Council Bill - water assets and infrastructure which would have swept away of councils and merge them the principle of equal voting into mega-entities. We here rights for all New Zealanders in in Canterbury will lose our the district - it is still pressing on assets - and 22 South Island with the equally undemocratic councils will be merged into Canterbury Regional Council Entity D. The representation (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill. of those 22 councils will They didn’t really have a choice be stripped down to seven on the Rotorua Bill, after their unelected ‘representatives’, as own Attorney General pointed well as seven mana whenua out that it is discriminatory and representatives, without us in breach of the Bill of Rights. having a say in who any of those But, under the Ngai Tahu Bill, representatives will be. which has passed its second One of the core tenets of reading, the people of a democratic society is, of Canterbury would elect 14 councillors. Everyone gets a vote - Māori, Pakeha and everyone else. And then something extraordinary happens. Ngāi Tahu appoints two more councillors. No voting and no election. This, despite less than 100 submissions out of 1,600 favouring the idea. I am a big fan of Ngai Tahu. They are a true New Zealand success story, and I applaud the Runanga for its vision and its ambition and the crucial role they play in the Canterbury culture, society and economy. But these two seats are not Māori wards, allocated proportionately to the population, they are an appointment by an independent entity - Ngāi Tahu. This is a dramatic and radical change to the way we choose our Government in New Zealand. The idea of equal suffrage - equal voting rights, regardless of gender, class and ethnicity - has been a pillar of our democracy for over a century. All New Zealanders should have an equal say in who governs them; an equal say in appointing the people that make the decisions that affect their lives. These concepts - equal voting rights and accountability at the ballot box - are basic to our democracy, and they are precious. Why this Labour Government thinks they can casually move away from these principles without discussion by supporting a Local Bill is beyond me. If we as a country no longer think that equal voting rights apply at one level of government, pressure will build for change in national elections. I can’t think of a more divisive agenda for any government to run. We recognise the burden of history, but no past injustices are fixed by undermining something that makes this country the great place it is - preserving the pillars of our open democracy. If Jacinda Ardern and her Government Ministers no longer think that Kiwis should have equal voting rights, then they should make the case and ask New Zealanders whether they agree. Nicola Grigg, Selwyn MP.

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