Author: Dr Muriel Newman
Dr Muriel Newman
Dr. Muriel Newman established the New Zealand Centre for Political Research (NZCPR) as a public policy think tank in 2005 after serving as a Member of Parliament for nine years. A former Chamber of Commerce President, her background includes expertise in business and education. NZCPR focuses on providing research-based analysis and commentary on national issues, aiming to inform public opinion and shape policy direction in New Zealand.
OPINION: Dr Muriel Newman. The recent appointment of ten unelected iwi representatives with full voting rights onto a Council Committee of just six elected Councillors is a stark illustration that the tribal takeover of Local Government in New Zealand is now well underway. But before we examine a prominent King’s Counsel’s findings that this development is unlawful, we should first ask a more fundamental question: how on earth has it come to this in a supposedly democratic country? To answer that question, we need to revisit the egregious betrayal of voters by Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party after the 2020 election, when they…