Summarised by Centrist
The Māori Wards Bill, part of the coalition agreement between ACT and NZ First, has passed its third reading in Parliament. It mandates councils that created Māori wards without a referendum to hold a binding poll during the 2025 local body elections. Local Government Minister Simeon Brown emphasized restoring community voices and democracy, while Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi criticized the bill as discriminatory and divisive. Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori voted against the bill.
