The Tongan Advisory Council says Prime Minister John Key is on another planet if he thinks the Auckland super-city will allow more Maori and Pacific Islanders to be elected on to its council.
Mr Key, responding to criticism from the Race Relations Commission which said Maori and Pacific Islanders wouldn't have enough influence, said ward-based elections for the council will allow for greater representation.
But Tongan Advisory Council chairman Melino Maka says Mr Key is trying to downplay the fact that Pacific Islanders will be worse off under the planned super-city.
He says both Maori and Pacific Islanders need dedicated seats on the new council.
Labour MP's bias claim
Meanwhile, Labour Party MP Carmel Sepuloni says some Auckland City councillors and the National Party worked to court the Pacific Island vote by trying to exclude opposition MPs from the Pasifika Festival.
The Tongan MP says that at Saturday's Pasifika Festival she went up to the stage to say a few words to her community. But organisers told her they were under instructions not to allow any politician on stage except Mr Key or Auckland Mayor John Banks.
Ms Sepuloni says the council and National Party sought to use the event as a platform for themselves.
The council says no instruction whatsoever was given to prevent Labour MPs from going up on stage.
