Church leaders support Māori wards ahead of votes

The referendums will be held alongside local council elections from September 9 to October 9 this year. They emerged out of the coalition agreements with both ACT and NZ First. Councils that established Māori wards without referendums have to hold a binding poll alongside their local body elections.

Christian social justice organisation Common Grace Aotearoa said two-hour workshops would be held in late August in the 42 regions where referendums are happening, and they will specifically target Pākehā.

“Churches are hosting workshops to ready themselves for Māori ward referendums, showing the level of interest among faith communities about this topic,” Common Grace Aotearoa co-director Alex Johnston said, “with older Pākehā voters being a key demographic to get on board”.

“Many church leaders are publicly stating their support for keeping Māori wards, and encouraging their people to get educated and make an informed vote.”

Leaders of Anglican, Methodist, Catholic and Baptist churches have put their names to the campaign.

Palmerston North Emeritus Bishop Peter Cullinane spoke in a Common Grace video about the issue. He said that Māori wards were established to “at least let the Māori voice be heard”.

“Just as Christians played a foundational part in fostering the Treaty relationship in 1840, we have a key role today to ensure that the promises of the Treaty are being honoured. Article 2 of the Treaty guaranteed Māori the right to make decisions about their lands and other taonga. Local councils are now places where many of these decisions are being made,” he said.

The following speaker said that having a dedicated Māori voice around the table in these decisions is a small but important step forward for fulfilling the vision of the Treaty.

Bishop Cullinane added that “Jesus didn’t exclude people – that’s why I will be voting to keep the Maori wards”.

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour criticised churches and clergy for speaking to their congregations about the upcoming referendums on the Māori Wards. He said churches need to stay in their lane and not mix religion with politics.

“Get back to God,” Mr Seymour told the New Zealand Herald.

FULL STORY

One hundred churches unite to support Māori wards (By Joseph Los’e/New Zealand Herald)

Learn about the value of Māori wards from a faith perspective (Common Grace)