Former retired Probation officer Tom Hemopo and Mฤori Climate Commissioner, Donna Awatere-Huata are due to give evidence this afternoon at the Mฤori Prisonerโs Voting Inquiry at the Waitangi Trbunal in Wellington.
Mr Hemopo and Mrs Awatere-Huata claim that the blanket prisoner voting ban discriminates against Maori and is a breach of their tino rangatiratanga and right to participate in the Mฤori Electoral voting process.
Mrs Awatere-Huata says that โRacism operates at many levels in NZ and this piece of legislation has taken away Mฤori peopleโs right to vote since the 1850โs. My evidence talks about the racist attitudes of the Crown towards Mฤori, the history of racism and colonisation, but more importantly what needs to be done to change those attitudes.โ
โThe prisoner ban is one of many racist pieces of legislation in this country that denies Mฤori the right to participate in making decisions about their future. 1 in every 142 Mฤori are in prison as oppose to 1 in every 808 non-Mฤori. Remove the prisoner voting ban to give our people currently in prison, the right to vote in 2020.โ Says Mr Hemopo