Three Waters: Maori Control

THREE WATERS CORRUPTION OF THE CENTURY

Separatist propaganda and lies (such as touted by Labour Minister for Maori Development Willie Jackson) state that Maori WON'T have veto powers or undue influence over Three Waters, claiming that it's just scaremongering disinformation!

So some BASIC questions for those thinking 3 Waters may be OK:

1. What is the voting and governance structure of the new entities?

2. Which elected and unelected groups have what percentage of votes, and who appoints them?

3. What are key thresholds for voting?

THE ANSWERS ON THE VOTING STRUCTURE ARE:

* 50% voting for appointed Maori tribal representatives (unelected & unaccountable).

* 50% voting for appointed “officials” (unelected & in all likelihood unaccountable). These officials can be of any ethnicity (may even be Maori) and are four bureaucratic layers removed from ratepayers.

TO EXPLAIN:

1. Ratepayers elect councillors.

2. Councils and iwi appoint a Regional Body.

3. The Regional Body appoints a Selection Panel.

4. The Selection Panel appoints Board Members to the water entity board.

* All Board decisions require a 75% vote, so complete control is being given to unelected, unaccountable people.

* No one is elected. No one is answerable to ratepayers.

LIES & ABUSE OF POWER

The claim that there is no undue influence is a complete and utter lie. Around the world, governments, organisations and companies define significant influence or control as 20% or 25% of votes, and 50% plus as absolute control.

So the Three Waters’ unelected and unaccountable Tribal representatives WILL have control, no matter who the unelected and unaccountable Officials are.

And of course, the unelected will be able to charge or do whatever they want with water and its infrastructure, and New Zealanders will just have to accept it.