Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP Parekura Horomia says it's shameful that New Plymouth District Council is refusing to create dedicated Maori seats.
Mr Horomia says a decision by the council this week shows the history of dispossession in the province continues, more than 150 years after settlers first provoked the war in Waitara.
He told Waatea News that the council is ignoring the lessons of Parihaka, where Maori used non-violent strategies to counter land confiscation.
Mr Horomia said Maori seats are a way for councils to acknowledge history and move on.
