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Auckland city - Source: ONE News -
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Protests are being organised against the Government's decision to rule out reserved Maori seats on Auckland's new city council and the Labour Party is going to try to create them by putting up amendments in Parliament.
Cabinet this week ruled out any reserved seats for Maori , causing tensions within National and between its support parties - ACT and the Maori Party.
ACT leader Rodney Hide, the Minister of Local Government, strongly opposes having reserved seats and the Maori Party is just as adamant they should be part of the new council's structure.
Maori Party MP Hone Harawira said on Wednesday iwi are organising protests in Auckland and he and his colleagues will be joining them.
Labour leader Phil Goff said Auckland Maori should have the same representation Maori has in central government.
"Labour has always stood behind the necessity of representation for Maori people at all levels of government," he told reporters.
"We believe it is appropriate for Auckland, as the country's largest city of 1.4 million people, to have adequate representation so that Maori input is in the council, not outside it."
Labour's Maori affairs spokesman, Parekura Horomia, said he will propose amendments when the legislation that sets up the new council is again debated in Parliament.
He wants two reserve Maori seats on the council but his amendments are almost certain to be defeated if National and ACT maintain their opposition.
The Maori Party also intends drafting amendments that will add reserved seats to the council and asked Prime Minister John Key to allow his MPs a free vote.
It is known that some National MPs favour having the seats, but none are likely to cross the floor over the issue.
