The electoral participation of Maori in Australia

This paper provides an empirical case through which to examine how debates about 'birthright-based' national citizenship and residence-based local citizenship play out in the context of an indigenous emigrant population: Maori in Australia. Many Maori who are resident long-term or permanently in Australia are unable to participate in Australian federal or state elections because they are not Australian citizens. This disenfranchisement is only partially compensated by their ability to continue voting in New Zealand elections; data on the exercise by expatriate Maori of their external voting rights suggest that their levels of participation are even lower than those of other expatriate New Zealanders. This tension between territorial residence and formal membership as a basis for decision-making rights plays out in another way for expatriate Maori, in relation to tribal decision-making. Generally speaking, whakapapa (genealogical) descent from a common ancestor gives rise to a right to vote in tribal elections. However, some influential observers have cautioned against giving scattered tribal members too much say in tribal decision-making, especially vis-a-vis those who keep the home fires burning. This suggests that, as the scale of the Maori diaspora grows ever larger, there will be ongoing debates about the voting rights of tribal members overseas.