Kia ora koutou katoa.
In 1840 the Treaty was signed,
more than a decade later,
in 1852 NZ Constitution Act was established by the settler Govt,
in fact very few Maori men voted in the first general election
of 1853
because they failed the individual freehold land requirement.
In 1859 the British Crown Law Office confirmed that Maori could not vote
because they owned land communally,
and only those that were granted individual title by the Crown
could vote.
In the 1860s war broke out in places like Taranaki, Waikato,
and Pukehinahina in Tauranga.
Some Pakeha politicians argued that Maori needed to be assimilated
into the political mainstream for lasting peace.
So, in 1867 the Maori Representation Act brought with it
the establishment of four Maori electorates:
three in the north and one in the south while Pakeha had 72.
If the per capita basis was applied
then Maori should have had about 15 seats.
In 1876 the Maori seats were established permanently.
Maori MPs were pressing for an increase
in the number of Maori seats
with the ongoing dubious land sales and confiscations continuing
throughout the country.
The 1893 Electoral Act gave all women including Maori women
the right to vote.
From 1919 to 1949 the Maori election
was held the day before the general poll.
In 1950s and 1960s there were a number of attempts
to abolish the Maori seats
with a number of reasons given to keep them or abolish them.
Some argued they were special representation
and others argued that as long as Maori wanted their existence
no serious attempts should be made to abolish them.
In 1967 the law changed to allow Màori to stand
in the European seats.
Up until 1975 a person with one Maori parent
and one European parent
could choose which roll they wished to register on.
The then Labour government introduced
the Maori electoral option every five-years
in time with the general census.
In 1985 the Royal Commission on the Electoral System was established,
and it gave considerable thought to the future of the Maori seats.
Its 1986 report concluded
that separate seats had not helped Maori
and that they would achieve better representation
through a proportional party-list system.
Before the first MMP election in 1996
the number of Maori seats was increased,
for the first time in their 129-year history,
to five.
Two more were added in 2002,
and the total has remained at seven ever since.
In summary e te whanau make sure you are registered to vote,
choose either the Maori roll or the General roll,
remember it's your choice and now you are ready.
To follow our Te Karere whanau
who will bring you accurate and credible, stories,
information and interviews from the campaign trail
to help you make informed decisions.
It's comprehensive election coverage from a Maori worldview
- To Poti 2020.