Hobson's Pledge
Hobson's Pledge is a lobby group in New Zealand that was formed in late September 2016 to oppose alleged "Māori favouritism". It is named after William Hobson, the first Governor-General of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.Background
The group is led by former National Party and ACT leader Don Brash, who delivered the controversial Orewa Speech in 2004 on the allegation of Māori privilege. Other key members include the legal academic David Round and the businessman Peter Shirtcliffe. Hobson's Pledge advocates abolishing the allocated Māori seats in the New Zealand Parliament and the Waitangi Tribunal, eliminating affirmative action, and affirms that the Māori tribes ceded sovereignty under the terms of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Hobson's Pledge has been criticised by several prominent New Zealand personalities including broadcaster Willie Jackson and former Labour Party leader Andrew Little. Former Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said of the campaign that it "failed in the old days and is going to fail now", referring to Brash's 2004 speech. Then-Prime Minister John Key likened the ideas of the group to tactics used by Donald Trump in his presidential campaign.
In May 2018, Hobson's Pledge sponsored citizens-initiated local body referendums opposing the establishment of Māori wards in Palmerston North, Western Bay of Plenty, Whakatane, Manawatu, and Kaikoura. Local councils in those districts had voted to establish Māori wards. In response, Hobson's Pledge sponsored various individuals including Don Esslemont who organised citizen-initiated petitions opposing the Māori wards. This took advantage of the Local Electoral Act 2001 that allows a referendum to be held on Māori wards or constituencies if requested by a petition signed by 5% of the electors of a city, district, or council.
As a result of these petitions, Māori wards were rejected in local referendums held in Palmerston North, Western Bay of Plenty, Whakatane, Manawatu, and Kaikoura on 19 May 2018. In all five local referendums, the turnout was about 40%. The results were welcomed by Hobson's Pledge leader Don Brash and conservative broadcaster Mike Hosking. However, the results were met with dismay by Whakatāne Mayor Tony Bonne, Labour MPs Willie Jackson and Tamati Coffey, former Māori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell, Bay of Plenty resident and activist Toni Boynton, and left-wing advocacy group ActionStation national director Laura O'Connell Rapira. ActionStation organised a petition calling on the Government to amend the Local Electoral Act's provisions on Māori wards.
