01682nam a2200157Ia 4500008004100000100002600041245010200067260000900169300001500178504000800193520118400201650002101385650004801406700002201454773004801476181130s2018    xx            000 0 und d  aWebster, Karen Lesley  aPolitical representation on the new Auckland Council - has amalgamation led to greater diversity?  c2018  ap.331-351.  dJun  aThis paper explores the diversity of local government electoral candidates and elected members, in Auckland � one of the world's most diverse cities (Chen 2015: 56) � following the 2010 amalgamation. It responds to questions raised over the democratic gaps created by enlarged wards, a lack of diverse representation, and higher elected member ratios. The research asks the question � who stood and who was elected in the election following the Auckland 2010 reforms, and how does this compare with the city's diverse population. Pitkin's (1967) concept of descriptive representation provides the foundation for a comparison of the gender, age, and ethnicity of local population, local government candidates, and elected members, to ascertain descriptive representation. The human rights framework provides a theoretical foundation to examine the diversity of representation. Preliminary findings support the view that under the shared governance model, electoral candidates are becoming more ethnically and gender diverse at the local level; while at the regional level, the dominance of the archetypal councillor as European, middle?aged and male, prevails. - Reproduced.  aLocal government  aLocal government - Australia - New Auckland  aFa'apoi. Emiliana  aAustralian Journal of Public Administration