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.
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WTH Are Māori Wards? Episode 6: The Big Guns
This week we’ve called in the big guns: Professor Janine Hayward and Professor Avril Bell. If you’ve ever tried to untangle Treaty politics, democracy, or identity in Aotearoa, chances are you’ve read their work (or quoted them at the dinner table without even knowing it). Janine, a political scientist from Otago, has the rare gift of making constitutional law and electoral systems feel like a story you actually want to hear. Avril, a sociologist from Auckland, takes us deep into the messy, beautiful world of identity and what it means to be Pākehā in a Treaty partnership. Together, they don’t just explain this kaupapa, they own it. They’re sharp, they’re insightful, and they’ve got that perfect mix of clarity and courage that makes you go, “ahhhh, now I get it.” Tune in for a kōrero that will blow the dust off politics and leave you buzzing with fresh understanding of why Māori wards matter.
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WTH Are Māori Wards? Episode 5: Bring It On
We follow-up last week’s fiery debate by welcoming Dinnie Moeahu to the mic for a kōrero that is equal parts laughter, depth, and uncompromising truth. With warmth, wit, and the authority of lived experience, the sitting New Plymouth District Councillor dismantles Morris West’s claims one by one, offering a compelling defence of Māori wards that is grounded in history, community, and the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It’s passionate, personal, filled with "bring it on" energy, and the kind of episode that's bound to leave you better informed, deeply moved, and maybe even seeing the debate in a whole new light.
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WTH Are Māori Wards? Episode 4: Unapologetically Opposed
Hold onto your headphones, because this episode's a firecracker. In Episode 4 of WTH Are Māori Wards, we sit down for a bold and unflinching kōrero with Māori ward critic Morris West. What starts as a calm conversation deepens into a battle of wills between Andrew Judd and Morris West, as two staunch perspectives collide with grit, fire, and electric moments. This isn’t just a debate, it’s a reflection of the fault lines of Aotearoa’s democracy. Two strong voices meet at one table, and this is the result.
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WTH Are Māori Wards? Special Episode: Electoral Roll Drama
Nau mai, haere mai, and buckle up for an unexpected episode of WTH Are Māori Wards? This week, thousands of Māori voters across Aotearoa discovered they’ve been removed from the Māori Electoral Roll without warning or consent, including our own co-host, journalist and advocate Taryn Utiger. In this urgent and deeply personal kōrero, Anaru Judd turns the mic on Taryn as she unpacks how it happened, what it means, and why it matters. Together, they dive into the confusion, the system failures, and the very real consequences for whānau gearing up to vote in the Māori Wards referendum later this year. If you care about Māori representation, voter rights, or democratic integrity, then this episode is essential listening.
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