KDC meeting turns tense over opening karakia

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BY JULIA WADE

 

01 Dec, 2022

 

The first formal Kaipara District Council [KDC] meeting of the new triennium got off to an awkward start on November 30, due to an exchange between Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson and Te Moananui o Kaipara Maori Ward councillor, Pera Paniora.

While welcoming newly-elected councillors, staff and the public as well as online listeners to the forum, Jepson reminded everyone that ‘public attendees cannot interject or speak’ and when Paniora asked to say a karakia before the meeting officially began, was told by the mayor she also could not interrupt.

Paniora stated that ‘it is tikanga [custom] to start a meeting with a karakia’.

“I’ll address that,” Jepson replied. “This is a council which is full of people who are non-religious, religious and with different ethnicities. I intend to run a secular council which respects everybody and I will not be veering from that, thank you.”

“I don’t agree with that,” Cr Paniora says.

“Sorry, you cannot interject,” the mayor replied.

“Excuse me, for those who do practice…”

“Councillor Paniora, you are not allowed to speak in this manner… we will continue with our meeting.”

However, Paniora got her chance when the newly-elected members each gave their five minute maiden speeches, 20 minutes into the meeting, ‘seeing as I wasn’t able to karakia this morning, better late than never’ she stated.

Paniora’s speech received a joint ‘amene’ from a number of people at the meeting, followed by supporters singing ‘Tutira Mai Nga Iwi’ which appears to draw an objection from a member in the public gallery.

Mayor Jepson replied saying ‘it’s been completed, and as this is a formal meeting, I would ask you to not interject, thank you’.

Another person seated at the council table but off-screen also commented ‘it was all in five minutes anyway Mr Mayor’.

Following the meeting mayor Jepson told the Focus his comments were not about having any adversity towards Maori, but more out of regard for the diversity of all groups sitting around the council table.

“I want to work with Maori, our local iwi is really important and we share an ambition to increase and improve housing, health and social/wellbeing needs. However, right through my election campaign I clearly stated we should respect and celebrate culture diversity of all groups in our community, and that I was against co-governance,” he says.

“We have a diverse group of councillors who differ culturally, ethnically and religiously. The easiest way to respect everyone is to not favour any group and we just get down to council business, which is our main focus.”

Jepson says when he was first elected, he set up a meeting with Cr Paniora as he knew they would not always see eye-to-eye on all issues ‘but I would always treat her with respect and try and work together as best as possible’.

“I’ve got no animosity to her at all,” he says. “One of the things I admire the most in people is the strength of character to stand up for what they believe in. Cr Paniora is a very powerful individual who does just that and I admire and respect her courage. It’s as simple as that for me.”

 

“I want to work with Maori, our local iwi is really important… The easiest way to respect everyone is to not favour any group and we just get down to council business, which is our main focus.”

– Craig Jepson, Kaipara mayor

 

 

Council members learning to work together The Focus contacted Local Government NZ [LGNZ] for comment or information regarding protocols of local body meetings and, while the organisation cannot comment on individual council issues, CE Susan Freeman-Greene says LGNZ has developed a new Standing Orders template which recognises the responsibility of Local Government as a Treaty partner. “It was developed with councils and captures practices that most councils already have underway,” she says. “We know this is the start of a new triennium and many councils are in the beginning stages of working through how they work with each other as elected members, with staff and what rituals they’ll set in place. LGNZ is happy to support any council as they go through this process.”

 

The first formal Kaipara District Council meeting on November 30 had an awkward start due to a dispute over karakia between mayor Craig Jepson [mid back] and Te Moananui o Kaipara Maori Ward councillor, Pera Paniora [far left].

 

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