Expert warns fewer list seats could squeeze Māori representation
Fewer list seats could make it harder for political parties to bring Māori talent into Parliament, according to Lara Greaves, an associate professor in politics at Victoria University. Greaves, who is of Ngāpuhi descent, said it will be difficult for parties, especially the major parties, to make sure enough Māori candidates come through.
List seats are the seats parties fill from their own ranked lists, rather than seats won in electorates. Greaves said list seats have been one way to bring Māori talent and diversity into Parliament, so fewer of them would reduce that route.
According to RNZ, at least 35 Māori MPs were elected in the current term, making up 27 percent of Parliament. At the start of the 2023 term, 34 Māori MPs were in Parliament, a record, and they made up around 28 percent of the House.
The share of Māori MPs varies widely between parties. All of Te Pāti Māori's MPs are Māori, half of NZ First's and half of the Greens' MPs are Māori, and 23 percent of ACT's MPs are Māori.
National's Māori MPs, like all of its MPs, entered Parliament through electorates. Labour brought two new Māori MPs into Parliament: Mananui Ramsden and Kingi Kiriona.
