From “no wards at all” to “Māori wards are a must,” this episode has it all. We bring you kōrero from every corner of the debate.
There’s a mayoral candidate, a Treaty expert, a migrant professor, and a long-time community advocate who’s been walking this journey for more than a decade.
In this chorus of perspectives, we talk to John Woodward who shares why he wants an at-large system with no wards at all, June Nicklin who takes us back to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its promises, Professor Mohan Dutta who offers a migrant’s lens on solidarity and justice, and Glen Bennett who reflects on more than a decade of fighting for Māori wards.
Together, their kōrero shows just how layered, challenging, and vital this conversation really is. It’s not about left or right, for or against, it’s about what fairness, partnership, and representation looks like in Aotearoa today.
Four voices, one kaupapa, and a debate that shapes the future for all of us.
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WTH Are Māori Wards? Episode 10: Shaping the Future
Whānau, the future doesn’t arrive fully formed, it's shaped by us. It's shaped through the fire of activism, through the fearlessness of rangatahi, and through the wisdom of te ao Māori guiding us forward.
In this episode, Kassie Hartendorp of ActionStation brings the activist spark from the community frontline, Saphire Brady and Thiemo Hanne from Stratford’s Youth Council remind us that tomorrow’s democracy is already speaking through today’s youth, and Te Ariki Rangitutia of Matatoa Consultants grounds it all, showing us how honouring te ao Māori can shape the way Aotearoa listens, learns, and chooses its path forward.
Together, these voices speak passionately about the future of Aotearoa and how we get there.
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WTH Are Māori Wards? Episode 9: Let's Hui
From town halls to marae, hui are springing up all over Aotearoa, and they’re buzzing with kōrero about Māori wards. This week Anaru and Taryn take you inside one of them - the Keep Māori Wards Manawatū Hui, recorded and shared with aroha by our whānau at Manawatū People’s Radio.
You’ll hear from a stellar line-up of speakers: Professor Richard Shaw, Dr Matt Wynyard, and Hinemoana Durie-Shedlock. These sharp minds and strong community voices pull no punches about why Māori wards matter, and why this referendum is a fight for the future of our democracy.
The many hui happening around Aotearoa show just how powerful grassroots democracy can be. This is the sound of a movement rising. This is what happens when communities unite.
Hui by hui, Aotearoa is stepping up.
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WTH Are Māori Wards? Episode 8: The Rulemakers
Politicians don’t always agree... but in this episode, we get a big surprise when they do! Three heavy hitters, from different sides of the political spectrum and different corners of the motu, all land on the same belief: Māori wards deserve to stay. The twist? One of them is part of the Coalition Government — the very same coalition that brought back referendums against Māori wards.
Join Anaru Judd and Taryn Utiger as they sit down with Andrew Little (ex-Cabinet big gun, now running for Wellington mayor), David MacLeod (National MP and former TRC chair who’ll surprise you), and Tangi Utikere (Labour’s local government spokesperson and former Palmy deputy mayor). And just so you know, we did ask the anti-ward crowd to front up. ACT’s Cameron Luxton, Local Government Minister Simon Watts, and Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson all got multiple invites. They ghosted us. Awkward. So instead, you’ll hear from the politicians who actually showed up, spoke straight, and made the case for why Māori wards work.
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WTH Are Māori Wards? Episode 7: Lived Experience
So... do Māori wards actually work, or are they just another political buzzword? Spoiler alert: they don’t just work, they deliver. A New Zealand mayor with 24 years of experience under his belt spent just one term alongside a Māori ward councillor and he's now a full-blown convert. Add in the lived experience of Māori ward councillor Te Waka McLeod, plus the perspective of councillor Sam Bennett, and you’ve got yourself the inside scoop. Join Andrew Judd and Taryn Utiger for the laughs, challenges, and game-changing wins of the lived experience of Māori wards. If you want the real truth about Māori wards, this is the episode you can’t afford to miss.
What are Māori wards? Why are they important? And why are they facing a referendum in Aotearoa in 2025?
In this bold and timely 10-part podcast, former New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd and journalist Taryn Utiger explore the meaning, mana and myths of Māori wards — from the history of Māori political representation to the modern-day battle for equity in local government.
Through expert interviews, whānau voices, real talk, and moments of raw honesty, this podcast shines a light on a part of our democracy that too few understand, and too many fear.
Whether you're on the fence or fired up, WTH Are Māori Wards? is here to help you listen deeper, think bigger, and vote informed.
New Zealand