Hawkins George: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
Hawkins George: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:657;Page:6568] 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Labour—Manurewa) 
: 
 I listened to Nikki Kaye who has just resumed her seat saying how proud she was to get up to defend the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill. What a pity the Cabinet Ministers have not done that. We had Jonathan Coleman who stumbled and dithered in the debate until someone told him it was the wrong debate to be talking about. We have two other people—the Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide and the Associate Minister of Local Government John Carter. They are both sincere people who talk with passion for Auckland. Well I talk with passion for Auckland too. Nikki Kaye did not tell us one thing. She did not tell us why she has not told the ratepayers of Waiheke Island—and they would love to know—why they should be funding the intersection improvements along Ti Rakau Drive in Pakuranga. They will not hear that from Nikki Kaye but they will be paying for them. She should put them on the ferry take them out to Ti Rakau Drive and show them what they will be paying for. 
This is what this bill is about: it is about the executive not fronting up. I want people to tell me why the executive is not down here defending its legislation. Have we heard Steven Joyce talk about this? When is Steven Joyce getting up and having a go? What is Wayne Mapp saying about this bill? Rodney Hide is one person who talks about it but does Murray McCully? No. Jonathan Coleman has had a go. Paula Bennett—there is a name. She will get in any scrap as long as it is between teenagers and she can step inside but she will not get involved in this debate. There is Maurice Williamson. Have we heard from him a good Auckland member a bit of a maverick? But of course no we have not. He has his gag on. There is John Key. We do not see John Key. Not a word from him. Judith Collins sits there day after day saying nothing absolutely crushed by this debate. That is why I think they call her “The Crusher”. She has been crushed by this debate and has not got up to speak. People of Papakura think this is disgraceful. What did we have last night? We had Mr Tremain from Napier getting up to talk about the Auckland bill when we had Ministers from Auckland who were not saying anything. That is quite interesting really. We had Colin King from Kaikoura getting up to have a go. But where were the Auckland Ministers? 
I have to say that the people of Auckland would have expected that an administration that has such important legislation for Auckland would get up and defend it but no that has not been the case at all. They have sat there with their mute buttons on. They have sat there with their gags on. I had National people tell me yesterday that they were not allowed to speak. We went for about 2½ hours with no National person getting up at all. They tried that tactic—the big silence. In the end the people of Auckland will realise that when the mail drop goes round the Papakura electorate asking why the National member did not get up to speak and why she was so quiet and when it goes round Botany to Pansy Wong’s supporters asking why she did not get up to support the bill. As the Minister of Women’s Affairs Pansy Wong represents half the population of Auckland well over 600000 to 700000 people but what did she have to say? Yes she was in the Chamber she was busying herself she sat in the Chair but she did not say “boo”. I think she must have found it pretty hard even drawing breath down here because over on the Government side they got people from out of Auckland to stand up and have a say.