Prasad Rajen: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
Prasad Rajen: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6445] 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour) 
: 
 I want to continue the theme of the advisory boards. However I want to know why members from ethnic communities who are members of the Government are not standing up to take a call. Why are they not advocating for the interests of the ethnic communities of New Zealand particularly those in Auckland? Those members mix amongst them day in and day out. They know day by day what their interests are. They know day by day what they are saying about what Auckland needs to do to capitalise on their interests capitalise on what ethnic communities bring to Auckland and capitalise also on what they are saying. The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance was very clear about their interests. It talked about them but Mr Bakshi just sits here. He has returned to the House refreshed. More than any one of us he should be advocating for the interests of the very communities he has come from rather than reading the newspaper in the House which is what that National member has been doing. Members from the particular communities that we come from are privileged to be in this House and privileged to represent our communities and there comes a time when we need to stand up and say what the people are saying. Rather than reading the newspaper he should tell us what the people are saying. 
Labour members have moved amongst them. The people have said that they have come to New Zealand to make a solid contribution. They have committed totally to this process. They have brought their families they have burnt their bridges in many cases and they are committed to New Zealand. They want to contribute. What did the royal commission say? These are important members of the Auckland community. There must be a way for them firstly to be elected and secondly to participate. What is the best way that they can participate? By having their own advisory boards. Will those members cross the floor? 
As for the Minister for Ethnic Affairs she had one chance. This was one time that that Minister could have gained the same kudos that the previous Government did. The previous Government established the Office of Ethnic Affairs and it is doing great work. The Minister asked her staff to go up and down the country to teach ethnic communities how to make submissions and what do you know? They did. The ethnic communities learnt very quickly. They made submissions to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee but there has not been one word from those members about those submissions not one representation in favour of ethnic communities making their voices heard through advisory boards. Why are those members not doing that? 
What do the ethnic communities bring to New Zealand? They are the defining characteristic of Auckland. They will before long represent 20 percent of our population. They are committed to this country. They are committed to Auckland the city I love and the city in which I live. They want to bring their children up there. They want to use whatever intelligence they have to make Auckland a great city. They want their businesses to do well. They want their religious practices to do well. They want the super-city to really respond to those things. How do those members think it will respond? How can the super-city really understand the interests of those communities day in and day out? Or is the Government interested only in making it appear that it thinks it is good that we have a multi-ethnic Auckland and that it is committed to what the ethnic societies bring? We all love going to their functions. We all love attending them saying hello in their languages and eating their food. But when the time comes to enable them to participate in a way that is fundamentally the right of every New Zealand citizen Government members are silent. 
Not only that; they are silent on the interests of youth as well. As my colleague Jacinda Ardern just said youth will not vote but they will make a solid contribution. The one expectation that our young people in the 21st century have is to be taken seriously by Governments. That is how they want to participate. 
The same is said about our Pacific communities. The Government has discounted the interests of Maori. What is it about this Government which says the right words about our ethnic people which talks about the advantages of having them in our midst but when it comes to enabling them to participate reverts to type? What is that type? That type is determined now by the ACT Party.