Debates in the New Zealand Parliament

Image: Cartoon

In August 1893 John N. Shera, Member for Auckland City successfully moved that the word ‘woman’ be deleted from the clause in the Electoral Bill defining who was eligible to vote for Māori representation [New Zealand Graphic]

By the 1890s women were convinced that a voice in political institutions was essential if they were to make social and economic progress. Five attempts to pass legislation giving women the vote had already failed, because both Māori and Pākehā politicians opposed this reform. In 1890 Sir John Hall, regarded as the women’s spokesman in the House, proposed an amendment to include the vote for women in an Electoral Bill before Parliament. The amendment would enable women to vote for members of the New Zealand House of Representatives. This was defeated and James Carroll of Ngāti Kahungunu and the Member for Eastern Māori, and Tame Parata of Ngāi Tahu and the Member for Southern Māori, were among those who voted against it. An article in the Māori newspaper Korimako Hou supported their position by encouraging Māori women to divert their attention and energies to the welfare of their children and grandchildren and to leave such complex matters as politics to their husbands, brothers and fathers.

In the following year the Female Suffrage Bill 1891 enabling women to vote was proposed. This failed when a clause was added to give women the right to stand for Parliament. The proponents of this clause were well aware that the conservative Upper House, the Legislative Council, would not accept the proposal. Both Hōri Kerei Taiaroa of Ngāi Tahu and Rāpata Wahawaha of Ngāti Porou, who were members of the Legislative Council, voted against the bill.

Image: Mere Ruiha Hakaraia – c.1862-1908

Mere Ruiha of Ngāti Raukawa, was born at Te Ngakau north of Rotorua in about 1862. She was the daughter of Tamati Pahika Hakaraia, a rangatira from Te Ngākau and Erana Te Wainui from Otaki, both Ngāti Raukawa.

Her whānau spent considerable time on Kapiti Island cultivating land that had been given to them by Te Rauparaha. Mere Ruiha and her sister Heneti became very adept at preparing wairakau, Māori medicine, from plants and trees.

Her husband was Hakaraia Te Whena (Zacharia Bevan). A man of the same name assisted Ellen Hewett when she was the Māori superintendent of the WCTU. It seems likely that Mere Ruiha had early connections with the temperance movement.

Mere Ruiha and Hakaraia Te Whena had eleven children and lived in Otaki. They successfully operated a number of businesses including the Central Hotel, general store and stables.

Mere Ruiha Hakaraia is registered on the Otaki and Manakau general roll in 1893, but she appears to have signed the 1893 Suffrage Petition under the anglicized name of Mary Bevan; a common practice for Māori at that time.

The couple both died in 1908 and are buried at Rangiatea Church in Otaki. Their descendants live in the Otaki area, Foxton, Wellington and Rotorua.

[Anaria Tangohau]

Image: Eparaima Te Mutu Kapa

Eparaima Te Mutu Kapa, Member for Northern Māori, was a supporter of the women’s franchise. As a member of Te Kotahitanga as well, he would have been kept fully informed of Māori women’s views. [New Zealand Graphic]

However at this time Eparaima Te Mutu Kapa of Te Aupouri and the new Member for Northern Māori, was emerging as a supporter of the franchise for women. He was closely involved in Te Kotahitanga where he reported on the New Zealand Parliament. In 1892 when the vote for women was again before the House, he stated that he ‘... heartily supported the measure ..’ and he was quoted in a newspaper interview as saying that women’s intelligence made it an injustice to deny them the vote. It appears that as an active participant in the Māori Parliament, he was more aware of the political aspirations of Māori women. 

During the debate on the 1892 Electoral Bill, Parata asked why the Government wanted to experiment by placing the ‘administration of the country in the hands of women.’ He claimed that this was unique in the history of the world. Hoani Taipua of Ngāti Raukawa and the Member for Western Māori stated that he did not wish the franchise to be extended to Māori women as he did not believe they were sufficiently qualified to exercise it. Opponents out-manoeuvred supporters by introducing a controversial measure to give a postal vote to country women and the bill again failed.

Image: Major Rapata Wahawaha

Major Rapata Wahawaha member of the Legislative Council, was opposed to giving the franchise to women. In 1891 he is reputed to have said that if the women in his electorate got the vote they were likely to use it against him. He described them as chattering too much, like little parrots. [Alexander Turnbull Library]

Public interest in women’s suffrage was high during the parliamentary session of 1893 when the Government introduced an Electoral Bill with a provision to enfranchise women. When the question was asked in the House whether Māori women were included, members made their views known with a roar of support. Māori parliamentarians expressed concern that the bill might be passed without a provision for Māori women to vote on the Māori rolls. If this was the case, Māori women would be limited to voting on the European roll and then only provided they qualified as owners of freehold land. The bill was amended.

When the bill reached the Legislative Council, Wahawaha spoke. In his opinion Māori women were nurturers, weavers and cultivators and they had always been excluded from sacred ceremonial duties. He claimed Christian doctrine supported his view, women did not preach or take part in the political assemblies of Europeans. ‘It is only in the last few years that the voices of fanatical women have been heard in the streets of Wellington and Gisborne and other places. This has considerably puzzled us. We do not know whether the old rule was the correct one or whether this is the right thing. He believed that most laws had a ‘sting’ and the vote might bring unforeseen burdens for Māori women. The measure should be delayed until they had been consulted.

In spite of his warnings the Electoral Bill giving all women of New Zealand the right to vote was passed on 8 September 1893.

Image: Copy of the voting paper in Māori used in 1893.

Every Māori or half caste who was registered on the Māori roll was issued with one of these papers at an official polling place on election day. They completed the form and their identity was confirmed by a witness who also signed the form. If the voter so wished, the Returning Officer or their designated deputy could fill out the form on their behalf. The completed voting papers were collected by the Returning Officer who at the end of the election, and in the presence of a witness, counted the votes. The numbers of voters and votes recorded for each candidate was entered on a special form signed by the Returning Officer and this was despatched immediately to the Central Electoral Office [1893 Electoral Act, s5(12-14)]

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