The weekend polls on Maori wards have undoubtedly included Maori who realise a limited access to all candidates and have voted accordingly. Certainly so in Whakatane where the proportion of Maori citizens is said to be 43 per cent.

It is not democracy to force Maori on the National Maori Electoral Roll to vote in a Maori Ward. Every voter deserves the ability to vote in any candidate of choice who is going to represent them for the next four years in local body matters.

175148005. would argue that Maori wards are discriminatory by providing a political right not accorded to all voters/ratepayers and residents. Those who argue for Maori wards under the guise of racism actually restrict Maori involvement in local politics.

A Maori ward is, in effect, nominating a Maori to serve on council. It is not a vote and that representative will not be a voice for all constituents. There is already provision for compulsory representation on councils under the Local Government Act, the Resource Management Act and representatives of local iwi and Treaty groups.

No other ethnic group receives such preferential treatment and local body recognition – all this without now publicly-recognised unnecessary Maori wards.

R Stephens, Papamoa.