“These are not Māori wards, which are open to anyone on the Māori electoral roll,” O’Connor said. “These are one subset of an iwi having power, not by vote – but by appointment. It’s outrageously undemocratic.” In 2010, the then-National Government sacked all 14 elected ECan councillors and replaced them with seven appointed commissioners. Full democracy to did not return to ECan until the 2019 local body elections. During the period of commissioners, ECan had a commissioner representing Ngāi Tahu. O’Connor said “democracy was suspended while ECan was run by commissioners, but that is not justification to continue some of those undemocratic activities now that ECan is again an elected body”.