Napier Deputy Mayor Sally Crown has hit out at Mayor Richard McGrath鈥檚 failed proposal to not include mana whenua voices and voting rights in the council鈥檚 standing committees for the term, describing it as 鈥済ross misjudgment and disrespect鈥.
About 100 people filled the public gallery of a Napier City Council meeting on Thursday, including former Mayor Kirsten Wise, after word got around of the possibility of a change to M膩ori representation on council committees.
It led to tense scenes, with some heckling McGrath as he made attempts to defend his proposal, in just his fourth full council meeting as mayor.
Standing committees are permanent committees established by local authorities to handle specific areas of council business throughout the elected term.
Last triennium, there were two Nga M膩nukanuka o te iwi representatives 鈥 representing a mana whenua voice 鈥 on each of the four standing committees.
This year, there would be two standing committees 鈥 the corporate and performance committee and the delivery and regulatory performance committee.
McGrath said he had not removed anyone and was establishing new committees.
鈥淭he reason for my decision is to have elected members, who have attended meetings and workshops, making decisions,鈥 McGrath said.
When asked why he hadn鈥檛 considered the risk to relations under the Treaty of Waitangi, McGrath said, 鈥渃an鈥檛 think of one鈥.
Crown told the meeting the mayor鈥檚 proposal had blindsided councillors.
鈥淭he proposal was a demonstration of gross misjudgment and disrespect,鈥 Crown said.
鈥淣ot just of our mana whenu partners but also of our elected members.
鈥淎 key part of leadership is to bring people along with you, and I have heard from elected members that they have been blindsided by the proposal that was presented.鈥
She said there was no heads-up or discussion with councillors, and it was arguably taking advantage of the fact that close to half of the team were new.
鈥淐hanging the order of the agenda, when we know there was significant interest in the item, feeds into the perception of looking at reducing the ability of our public to engage on this.鈥
M膩ori ward councillor Shyann Raihania asked the mayor what consultation had taken place with mana whenua before the proposal was changed, and asked him to outline the step-by-step process that led to the decision to amend it.
McGrath again said it hadn鈥檛 been amended; it was a new structure.
He said he had spoken to a few people and then, 鈥渁s the mayor, he had put it together and put it around the table here鈥.
Raihania asked for an amendment to the proposal, including retaining Ng膩 M膩nukanuka o te Iwi appointments on all standing committees as specialist voting members with full speaking rights.
She also requested the mayor engage with Ng膩 M膩nukanuka o te Iwi members as mandated mana whenua representatives and return with a revised terms of reference, including options and legal advice.
The amended proposal was put to the vote with six votes for and four against.
Applause and cheers from the public gallery followed the vote.
The Vote
For: Whare Isaac-Sharland, Sally Crown, Keith Price, Ronda Chrystal, Shyann Raihania and Graeme Taylor.
Against: Craig Morley, Nigel Simpson, Richard McGrath and Roger Brownlie.
Abstained: Te Kira Lawrence and Greg Mawson.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you
Get the iHeart App
Get more of the radio, music and podcasts you love with the FREE iHeart app. Scan the QR code to download now.
Download from the app stores
Stream unlimited music, thousands of radio stations and podcasts all in one app. iHeart is easy to use and all FREE
