Kieran McAnulty’s statements today on the intersection between the Treaty and our democracy are confusing and concerning, National’s Justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

“The Local Government Minister conceded on TVNZ’s Q&A this morning that the co-governance arrangements in the Three Waters reform moved away from a one person, one vote sense of democracy, but claimed the Treaty required it.

“National does not believe that honouring the Treaty requires abandoning the concept of equal citizenship.

“Mr McAnulty said there ‘are provisions that we have in this country that wouldn’t stand up to a purely academic democratic framework, but that’s not how we work in New Zealand’.

“The examples he used were ridiculous – the governance arrangements for two rivers following Treaty settlements and the existence of Māori seats.

“Māori seats are consistent with democracy because they are proportional to the population.

“Labour is taking a very different approach regarding water - and its proposed RMA replacement - decisively moving away from proportionality and an equal standard of citizenship, in reforms that affect every New Zealander.

“With the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Act they have extended this approach to the electoral system, giving Māori disproportionate voting rights in that region.

“The Prime Minister needs to clarify immediately why his Government has moved away from an equal standard of citizenship, and he should ask New Zealanders if they agree.

“One of the founding principles of the National Party is equal citizenship. We recognise Māori have rights and interests in water, but do not accept that 50/50 co-governance is required to give effect to that.

“There is plenty of room for consultation with iwi over matters of particular concern to them, but it cannot accommodate a shift away from equal voting rights and an equal say for all New Zealanders in major decisions affecting our lives.”

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