Source: Mataara Mai (Mataara Mai is a Rotorua-based and tangata whenua-led rōpū advocating for the rights of the indigenous peoples of Palestine, Aotearoa, and other colonised nations around the world.)
“Rotorua Lakes Council is today blocking the presentation of a petition asking them to call for a ceasefire in Gaza,” said Karamea Graham-Ratana, spokesperson for Mataara Mai.
“Just in the last few weeks, we have gathered over 1,180 petition signatures and 60 letters of support from businesses. We have filed the petition in accordance with the rules to be heard at today’s council meeting. But the petition has been refused and we are not allowed to speak,” said Graham-Ratana.
“This is outrageous by any reasonable understanding of democracy,” said Graham-Ratana.
“We want our council to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and to condemn the violence, neither of which our government will do. Many people in our community are distressed by Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and we are looking for leadership,” said Graham-Ratana.
“We were advised by the council’s chief executive to file a petition if we wanted to be heard. Now that we have, we are being told that international matters fall outside the council’s jurisdiction,” said Graham-Ratana.
“This position is false and we don’t buy it. Rotorua Lakes Council maintains sister city relationships across the world, and pays for its councillors to visit those cities and nurture international relationships. Other local authorities and communities have weighed in on the war in Gaza including Whanganui District Council and Far North District Council, the Waiheke Local Board, Ngāti Kahungunu as well as the mayors of Christchurch and Nelson,” said Graham-Ratana.
“Petitions to local authorities on international matters are commonplace all across the country,” said Graham-Ratana.
“The subject matter of the petition must fall within the council committee’s terms of reference. But no one can point us to what those are. Our petition is important to our community and the council is legally obliged to enable democratic local decision making by our community.”
“Mataara Mai is entitled to speak at today’s council meeting. We will be in attendance and we will protest our exclusion from the council agenda,” said Graham-Ratana.
“We will not let our council take our voice away. This is not over. Ka whawhai tonu mātou” said Graham-Ratana.
