So, it turns out that Palmerston North voters are racists too, just like their hick cousins in Manawatū:
Palmerston North people have spoken and more than two-thirds who voted were in opposition to creating separate Māori wards.
Results from a binding poll came in on Saturday night, with 14,567 voting against wards for the city council and 6530 voting for.
The percentage was 68.87 against and 30.88 per cent for.
The turnout was at 37.21 per cent of eligible voters, and 49 votes were counted as blank and four "informal" votes received.
I guess its just too much to expect better from this rural shithole. I hope they're really proud of themselves, being exactly the sort of people Don Brash thinks they are.
As for the solution, Local Government New Zealand has pointed out the iniquity of a racist law which allows the majority to veto minority representation, and they're right. Either all boundary changes need to be subject to referendum (in which case Maori can force a referendum on any scheme which does not guarantee appropriate representation), or none should be. But the current situation, where some boundary changes but not others can result in a referendum, based on race, is simply racism.
ActionStation has a petition on the issue here if you'd like to sign it (note: this form does not comply with the Privacy Act). But with NZ First involved in the government and holding a blocking majority in parliament, I doubt there will be progress in this term of parliament.
