Smith NickHon Dr NICK SMITH (National): We've heard a number of comments from Ministers but they are yet to address the repetitive question that is required in the committee stages. My hope Madam Chair with the change in the Standing Orders of less standard five-minute speeches and more questions is that the Minister would provide an answer. And I'll just repeat it because it is fundamental to this clause: why is the Government saying that councils can have a binding referendum on any issue they like except the establishment of Māori wards?Now as my colleague Chris Luxon has said the explanatory note of the bill says that we are aligning general wards with Māori wards. So if that's the case why doesn't clause 5 say you can't have a binding poll on general wards? If alignment was it—and I don't necessarily think that's a valid policy but let's take the Government at their words that that's their intent—why does clause 5 not prohibit a binding poll on general wards? Is there anyone of the Labour members in the Chamber that might answer that question? Can the Minister in the chair answer the question as to if you're going to specifically prohibit our 84 councils being able to have a poll on a Māori ward why would you not prohibit them having a poll on a general ward?Would the chair of the select committee care to provide an answer to that question. Can any member in the Parliament before we pass this bill under urgency—significant law electoral law with constitutional implications rammed through Parliament under urgency one day for public submission six days for the select committee process when it's normally six months—please give me a rationale for this clause that says you're allowed to have polls on anything except Māori wards? The silence is deafening. Can the Minister in the chair even give me a little hint as to the public policy rationale for this?Let's be clear: the Government's saying a council can have a poll on whether your office is red or blue you can have a poll on whether you're going to keep a historic tree you can have a poll as to whether you're going to put orange lines down main street you can have a poll on whether you're going to change the name of your council you can have a poll on whether you have a community board you can have a poll on any policy any activity absolutely anything but you must not—it's a breach of the law you'll be put in jail—have a poll on whether you have a Māori ward.Now I've never seen law that's so odd. It is really bizarre. And it's even more bizarre when the Government says Oh this is just about aligning the law between general wards and Māori wards." Well let's be absolutely clear. If a council wants to create a ward—let's say here in Wellington; let's say it wants to create a ward for the people of Karori—it can do so; it can have a binding poll.Louisa Wall: It doesn't need to.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Well the member opposite says they don't need to but that's not what this clause is about and I would love that member to answer—can the member please answer me this very simple question; take a call because nobody from the Government can answer this simple question: why is the only issue that a council is specifically prohibited from having a binding poll on the issue of whether they had a Māori ward? Why are they being allowed to have a poll on absolutely anything they like but they must not cannot will not have a poll on whether they have a Māori ward? Can somebody before we make this change to our electoral law give some rationale as to why we would only specifically prohibit a poll on that issue? I think this is devious I think the Government is being less than upfront with its agenda. It is screwing the scrum in favour of Māori polls. That is so transparent in this clause and they should be upfront about doing that and particularly upfront when it is a matter of constitutional and electoral law."