Te Pāti Māori is calling on the Māori nation to unite as Act announces its next attack on Māori with their move to reintroduce referendums to overturn Māori wards.

“Act are again pillaging our nation with modern day colonisation, silencing our voices, and ensuring our rights to be heard and represented are trampled,” said co-leader Rawiri Waititi.

“The decision to reintroduce referendums to overturn already established and to stop the establishment of Māori wards is a continued attack on Māori representation and rights to decision making in our local councils.

“It is appalling, that Act think a 5% referendum is their definition of democratic when Te Tiriti asserted equal rights and opportunities.

“Act and the coalition resort to using the general election as their democratic mandate, yet ambush the mandate local electors give to their councillors to establish Māori wards.

“This is double standards and only confirms what we all know to be true - that Act’s agenda has it out for Māori.

“Communities across the motu put hours of work and effort to mobilise their communities to support the establishment of Māori wards. Our people marched, protested, presented petitions and engaged with their elected representatives.

“This is another move by government to dictate what representation looks like at a local level. Yet they claim that they’re giving decision making back to the community.

“Having 5% of a people make a determination for the other 95% of the community is like Te Pāti Māori making all the decisions for the nation in the current parliament.

“Act simply wouldn’t have it, and that is the very foolishness that comes with the reintroduction of this entitlement,” said Waititi.

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