The Government’s plan to re-allow local referendums on Māori wards looks to have been put on the back burner for now, according to a Cabinet leak.
However, ACT leader David Seymour is adamant that the policy is still on track. The policy is part of his party’s coalition agreement with National.
A leak to 1News reveals two options were tabled in Cabinet on Monday.
Option one would have meant pushing go on the referendum policy, while option two meant pushing it out to a later date. Ministers chose option two.
Speaking to 1News, Seymour denied that his policy had been delayed.
“For you to spuriously speculate based on what some little birdies told you,” he said.
“As far as I’m concerned, there’s no particular timings in the coalition agreement, so it’s hard to delay something that didn’t have a specific time.”
He added: “I don’t engage with leakers or leaking. I’m confident in trusting in the process.”
ACT’s policy would mean poll referendums on Māori wards in councils could be held again if 5% of local voters requested it.
There are 35 councils with Māori wards and a further 13 will be established next year.
Seymour said: “When people have an opportunity to vote in referendums on Māori wards, they vote against them, and in big numbers.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said all three coalition parties had the same position on the issue. The previous government abolished referenda for council Māori wards in 2021.
“All we want to do is actually see it revert back to the situation that it once was.”
When asked, the prime minister said the leaks from his Cabinet were “not a biggie” and that “we’re not particularly losing a lot of sleep over it”.
“We’ve had a number of leaks that have come out through the public service,” he said.
“It’s not a big one, not a biggie. We’re not particularly losing a lot of sleep over it.”
The leak did not come from the public service, 1News Political Editor Maiki Sherman has reported.