Twyford Phil: Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill(No 2) — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTwyford Phil: Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill(No 2) — In Committee[Sitting date: 24 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13655. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—TeAtatū): This Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill (No 2) which the Minister of Local Government has accurately described as a sort of non-controversial bill is about the delegation of powers by local boards to council staff to get things done. It is as we have said in earlier debates basically the result of incompetence by the Government putting in provisions. The delegation of powers should never have been in legislation that had a sunset clause.We are debating this now only because the Government messed up the drafting of that transitional legislation for the Auckland super-city but it is a very timely opportunity to reflect on the National Party’s roll call of shame when it comes to Auckland—the roll call of shame. There is a long list—a long list—of Roman generals sent by the National Party to quell the natives north of the Bombay Hills and that is what I want to make some comment on because it relates very closely to the democracy that is at the heart of this bill. It started with the “little general” from Epsom Rodney Hide who was delegated by the John Key Government to set up the Auckland super-city and to destroy everything that had stood there before inTāmaki-makau-rau to destroy the eight existing territorial authorities and replace them with this great shining shrine of the Auckland super-city. That was Rodney Hide’s mission and he set about constructing a super-city in Auckland with a heavily corporatised structure so that it could be sold off in the future.That was Rodney Hide’s great legacy. He rode roughshod in spite of the important democratic provisions that ended up in the legislation encapsulated in the local boards that we are debating tonight. He rode roughshod over Auckland—The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy): Order! Look the history lesson is fine but it has got to be pertinent to the Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill (No 2).PHIL TWYFORD: Thank you Mr Chairperson for reminding me of that. The next person who played an important role in the establishment of these local boards was John Banks a current member of this House who ran for the mayoralty and was thrashed by Len Brown—absolutely thrashed—because Len Brown stood up for local boards. He believes in democracy unlike the National Party and unlike John Banks. Len Brown stood up for the power of local boards and John Banks was thrashed.The next Roman general who was sent to subdue the natives in Auckland was Murray McCully who tried to humiliate Len Brown over the Rugby World Cup. He went to Auckland and he tried to sheet home to Len Brown all of the blame for the transport fiasco—The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy): Order! I am trying to get in the theme and the spirit of the member—[Interruption]—the vibe. But as I said history is fine. Can wetalk about the bill? Can you relate what you are saying to the bill? We have had enough of the history lesson.PHIL TWYFORD: I am going to bring it all the way back to Nick Smith who is an important character—The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy): Oh no no the bill.PHIL TWYFORD: Well this bill is about democracy in Auckland. It is about the right of local grassroots communities to have a say in the running of the affairs of their cities. That is what this bill is about. If there is one Minister in this Government who shows no sympathy and no understanding for the aspirations that Aucklanders have for a say in the running of their city it is Nick Smith. He turned up in Auckland went rampaging around Auckland earlier this year accusing the mayor Len Brown of killing the dreams of Aucklanders because their planning regulations were somehow at fault for the housing affordability—