I acknowledge that it is unusual to make a change of this nature in such haste. However, the bill must proceed quickly so that the changes affecting councils can apply for the 2022 local body elections. Councils and communities with Māori ward processes already under way will have certainty about what will happen, expensive poll processes will soon become redundant and they do not need to be started, and—to be clear—for those councils who want to reconsider whether they have Māori wards at the 2022 local elections, if they decide to, every council has until 21 May 2021 to create Māori wards for their communities. After that, councils that have resolved to establish Māori wards will need to undertake the representation review process to make sure that their overall representation arrangements are fair and effective. 