Eagle PaulPAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai): Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. I could take more but five is enough on Thursday afternoon. Look can I just start by acknowledging the Minister of Local Government the hard-working Nanaia Mahuta—I think she's done an outstanding job to date and will continue to do an outstanding job for those in local government—and also the hardest-working select committee on earth the Governance and Administration Committee. It just so happens I'm a member of that committee—no coincidence. Someone's got to do the hard mahi as others might say. But look it is a good committee. We look after local government and this and other bills that are coming to the House soon have been the focus of our energy to get right.Look they say all politics is local and the member for Northcote certainly reinforced that with the fact that many of you who have electorate offices will know that many who come in or email and other ways will raise local issues. I'm really proud that this is contributing to the small stuff the little bits and pieces but also the big stuff. The big stuff really for me if I can focus on one aspect is really about helping to get more people to vote in local elections. They're this year. Most people won't know. They'll start seeing a clutter of hoardings at a reserve near them and go What's going on?" and that's when the confusion really starts.Simeon Brown: They'll miss your face this year.PAUL EAGLE: No the Eagle won't be appearing on the streets of Rongotai this year young Simeon. Instead it's—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order! You need to refer to members by their proper names please Mr Eagle.PAUL EAGLE: The member for the mighty Pakuranga—sorry Madam Assistant Speaker. No there won't be any red Eagles around the streets of Newtown and other parts of the southern area this year but don't worry: they'll be back next year with a vengeance. There might be a couple of blue ones this time around.Hon David Bennett: You won't have to wait until next year for it mate.PAUL EAGLE: I could put them up early. I mean there are really no rules. There's so much love for the red in the southern area; it's just unbelievable.But look let's get some focus back on—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): That would be good.PAUL EAGLE: —what is an important—no no this is really important. I mean there's always lots of love when I talk about local government but the real love needs to happen with the voting public. When they turn on the tap and they can't get water or the bin's not there or they have some other issue with a cycleway or two then they can talk to their local councillor and know who that is and actually vote. I mean it sits around 40 percent—and the Minister of Transport is looking at me with some evil eyes. It sits around 40 percent but I think we can do a whole lot better than that.If the smaller but important change to the principle of the Local Electoral Act goes it means that more marketing and promotion of the actual election itself—in fact many people don't know that it's a decentralised localised campaign. So it depends on where you are in New Zealand and who the electoral officer is as to whether it's been effective or not. Unlike the orange thing that wobbles around and goes around New Zealand and it promotes the general election you don't get that at the local level even though people think that you do.So I'm stoked that that's going to get the attention that it needs to ensure that more marketing is done. And look it is a tough gig because as the member for the mighty Pakuranga will know you are voting for much more than just the city or district councillor; you've got the health board members regional councillors in most areas too but also you have energy trust boards and other things that will come up as well in some areas. So it is a smorgasbord of things to vote for and people to vote for and if this is one of seven amendments to go through then that will make a major change to the people of Aotearoa New Zealand. That's the five minutes. What a pleasure as per usual. I commend this bill to the House."