DON BRASH: Te Pāti Māori just made our argument for us
- Don Brash
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
The following is written in Don's capacity as Hobson's Pledge trustee.
Te Pāti Māori has recently set out its election strategy, and in doing so, it has unintentionally revealed a profound constitutional reality: New Zealand no longer requires separate Māori seats to ensure Māori representation in Parliament.
At its campaign launch, Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer encouraged supporters to give their candidate vote to Te Pāti Māori, while directing their party vote elsewhere.
Why?
Under MMP, if a party wins more electorate seats than its share of the party vote would ordinarily entitle it to, those seats can create an overhang, increasing the size of Parliament.
As Rawiri Waititi noted, many Māori candidates standing for Labour and other parties are already likely to enter Parliament through their party lists.
That admission matters.
Māori representation in Parliament is clearly no longer dependent on the existence of separate Māori electorates.
Instead, Te Pāti Māori is now openly seeking to use those electorates as part of an electoral strategy designed to hijack influence beyond what its share of the nationwide party vote would otherwise deliver.
In other words, Te Pāti Māori has made our argument for us.
Māori candidates can, and do, win general electorates. Māori candidates can, and do, enter Parliament through party lists. Māori New Zealanders participate throughout our political system as candidates, MPs, ministers, party leaders and voters. Māori are succeeding, and this is a good thing. I might also add that seven of the twelve Party leaders now in Parliament are Māori, and every party in Parliament has had at least one Māori leader except Labour.
So why, in 2026, do we continue to maintain electorates defined by ancestry?
Our electoral system should reflect enduring democratic principles of fairness, equality and equal citizenship. Every New Zealander should participate in our democracy on the same basis, regardless of ancestry.
It is time for New Zealanders to have their say.
Hobson’s Pledge has been calling for a binding referendum on the future of the Māori seats.
It is high time politicians stopped deciding this question for us and put it directly to the people.
If the Māori seats remain necessary and enjoy public support, their supporters should have nothing to fear from a referendum.
And if New Zealanders believe we have outgrown separate representation based on ancestry, they should have the democratic right to say so.
The reserved seats for "Maori" served their intended purpose long ago.
They are no longer necessary or Democratic.
They are an UNDEMOCRATIC RELIC of the past that is now racially discriminating, divisive and detrimental.
The proper role of MPs is to represent the people of their local communities in government. It is not to promote unequal, unfair advantages and benefits for one racial, religious or other identity group at the expense of others.
Democracy enables all citizens to participate and influence government decisions but unfortunately the majority do not. As a result, the minority of people who are politically active, involved and influential gain unequal advantages over those who choose to be PASSIVE SPECTATORS.
Democracy then fails and becomes Oligarchy (government…
Why, in 2026, do we continue to maintain electorates defined by physical boundaries?
MAORI SEATS IN PARLIAMENT
Something most people are blissfully unaware of is the truth regarding the special Maori seats in Parliament. The fact is, they were originally introduced because in the early days ONLY those who owned land had a vote in this country. But the problem with that was, Maori land was held collectively … so, the seats were created to give Maori a fairer representation within politics.
However, that situation ended when all NZ adults got the vote. But, Maori continued to have the Maori seat option. So, when MMP was introduced, a Royal Commission tried in vain to recommend that it be abolished, as there was no longer the need for “special” seats.
And also … because…
Under the Treaty of Waitangi Maori CEDED ‘FOREVER’ THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THEIR COUNTRY to the British Crown , in return for the Crown’s protection from their (Maori’s) ongoing near-genocidal inter-tribal warfare / slaughter , which had already decimated one-third of their population. Equality of citizenship before the law is a fundamental mandate of the Treaty of Waitangi , which Treaty Maori requested and signed up to voluntarily, willingly and without coercion of any sort . Maori have EXACTLY THE SAME right/ entitlement and ability to put themselves forward for elected political office as any other citizen. Why then should there be dedicated race-based Maori seats in Parliament, particularly when Te Parti Maori’s SOLE INTEREST AND PURPOSE in Parliament is promo…
While I don't object to a referendum on the race based Maori seats I would like to point out Parliament has the right, by a simple majority, to abolish them by legislation. If the three Coalition leaders made a joint statement today to do so following the election, then I would predict them once again forming a government in November.. To late to prevent the tattooed cowboys from gaining a seat or two this time around so the entertainment will continue.