Rino Tirikatene

Māori ward advocates are deeply concerned at the lack of nominations for the new seats at this year's local bodies election.

This year 35 councils across Aotearoa will introduce Māori wards but, with tomorrow the cutoff date for nominations, advocates say the biggest opportunity ever for Māori to have a voice at council could be lost.

Jill Day led the charge for Wellington City Council to implement Māori wards. As of today, there is only one candidate to contest the one vacancy on the Wellington council.

With just a few days left for local body election candidates to get their nominations in, district councils in Whanganui, Ruapehu and Rangitīkei have not received enough nominations to fill their chambers.

ACT has reaffirmed its position that if elected to power next year, it will repeal the Labour government’s Three Waters legislation.

Te Pāti Māori has had its highest poll result in over a decade, making it a potential kingmaker at the next general election, as support erodes for a National/ ACT coalition.

A singer-songwriter and educator is throwing his hat into the ring for the Whanganui mayoralty.

Ousted Green party co-leader James Shaw says he will stand in the race for the party’s co-leadership, after being dropped by its members over the weekend.

A Gisborne councillor has called into question the mayor's ability to lead the region forward, saying her background makes it hard to understand issues affecting Māori.

The government says it will introduce a bill to Parliament that allows Māori to swap electoral rolls at virtually any time, despite National threatening to derail the change.

After fighting so hard to have Māori wards established, both locally and nationally, standing in Whakatāne District Council's first election to include them may seem to be a given for Toni Boynton.

Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust has six new or returning trustees following its recent board elections.

They are Andrew (Anaru) Rieper (Te Taitokerau), Hurimoana Dennis (Tāmaki Makaurau), Eugene Cassidy (Aotea), Te Wheoro Rangikotua (Mātaatua/ Tauranga Moana), Matua Hook (Kahungunu) and Tom Alesana (Te Waipounamu/ Wharekauri). 

New nominations are to be called for in Tainui after the successful candidate withdrew "due to extraneous circumstances".