Justice minister makes four appointments to Representation Commission

Justice Minister Andrew Little has announced the appointment of four political nominees to the Representation Commission.

“I am pleased to announce that the government’s nominated representatives will be Hon Rick Barker and, for the Māori electoral boundaries, Moana Mackey,” said Little. “The opposition party’s nominations will be Hon Roger Sowry and, for the Māori electoral boundaries, Daniel Te Kanawa. I welcome the nominees and the diverse backgrounds they will bring to the Representation Commission.”

The Representation Commission is the body charged under the Electoral Act 1993 with determining the number of electoral districts in New Zealand and fixing the boundaries for those electorates.

When the Representation Commission carries out the task of setting the boundaries of the general electoral districts, the commission consists of the chairperson, four ex officio members, and two political representatives appointed by the governor-general on the nomination of the House of Representatives – one to represent the government and one to represent the opposition.

When setting the boundaries of the Māori electoral districts, the commission’s membership consists of all the members described above, plus the chief executive of Te Puni Kokiri, and two political representatives, who must be Māori, appointed by the governor-general on the nomination of the House of Representatives – one to represent the government and one the opposition.