Gallagher Martin: Manukau City Council (Control of Graffiti) Bill — Third Reading 
Gallagher Martin: Manukau City Council (Control of Graffiti) Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:646;Page:15749] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 I rise to speak on the third reading of the Manukau City Council (Control of Graffiti) Bill. I join with previous speakers including I think Judith Collins and Pansy Wong in praising Mr George Hawkins for his tenacity and longstanding support of this bill. I also praise other MPs from the South Auckland area particularly Dave Hereora whose work I acknowledge. I acknowledge Ross Robertson’s work. He gave a very fine speech in the House today. I also particularly acknowledge the very good community leadership and role of the former deputy mayor of the city of Manukau Su’a William Sio who is sitting next to me. I acknowledge that George and members of the Manukau City Council have worked hard towards getting this bill. I particularly praise the previous mayor Sir Barry Curtis for his leadership on this issue and I also praise the current Mayor Len Brown. 
There was some reference in the speeches to the role of the Local Government and Environment Committee and to the fact that notwithstanding the ultimate recommendation of the select committee at the time Parliament is minded to proceed with the Manukau City Council (Control of Graffiti) Bill. I also acknowledge that some members particularly those opposite can specialise in the 10-second half-truth sound bite or the “glass half-empty and half-truthful” sound bite. However I think it is important that we acknowledge the conclusion of the majority of the select committee. It clearly acknowledged “the efforts of Manukau City in bringing this matter to Parliament’s attention through this Bill. The committee was assured by the Minister that Manukau would be involved in the ongoing development of future Government initiatives. We are concerned by the spread of unlawful graffiti in New Zealand and believe that it is an issue that needs addressing in and beyond Manukau City. Although we do not believe that this bill is the right solution we hope it will be a catalyst to the implementation of a multifaceted national approach to graffiti.” 
In terms of a catalyst to a nationwide approach I pay particular tribute to the team at the Manukau City Council; not just the elected members but the community workers the community people and the members of the staff aided as they were by people such as the Hon George Hawkins Ross Robertson and other members who represent the city of Manukau. I also want to say however that upon reflection the Manukau City Council says that notwithstanding the report of the select committee it wants to get ahead and get on with this local bill. I note a quote from what I think is a very good article. As a Hamilton member I do not read the  
Manukau Courier 
 but— 
Hon George Hawkins 
: You should.  
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: Perhaps I should indeed. There is a very good article in the paper and a very nice photo of George Hawkins. The paper gives him great credit for this bill. I have just noticed that there is a quote from the Mayor of Manukau Len Brown in which he states he is convinced that local and national legislation is crucial to helping the city of Manukau to get rid of graffiti. He says that city ratepayers pay $1 million a year to get rid of 300000 tags. That was alluded to earlier in the debate this afternoon. Mr Brown says that if this bill is passed first a ban on the sale of spray-cans to under 18s would apply to Manukau before anywhere else and so would new rules around the storage of spray-cans in shops and other provisions to help fight graffiti. Mr Brown says that the council is finalising an extension to its graffiti strategy that will see a stronger focus on eradication and prevention. In that sense yes this Parliament has reflected and yes we are saying to the city of Manukau that we acknowledge that it has introduced a bill so we should go ahead and enact it. Very quickly behind it and I think certainly dovetailing with it will be the nationwide legislation which is currently before the Law and Order Committee. 
As I have said in previous debates in this House I strongly believe that the legislation that is currently before the Law and Order Committee and the Stop Tagging Our Place (STOP) initiative will dovetail very very neatly with the Manukau City Council (Control of Graffiti) Bill. As I have said before and as the select committee itself has done I strongly applaud the Manukau City Council for its initiative in bringing this bill to the House. I note the very strong leadership and support from the Mayor of Manukau City Len Brown in terms of the STOP strategy. In fact the only people I can hear opposing this Government’s anti-graffiti strategy are the small number of Opposition members. They are the only ones I can hear. I cannot hear the democratically elected members of the Manukau City Council under the leadership of Len Brown opposing the STOP strategy. I cannot hear criticism from the Manukau City Council of the nationwide bill. What they hear from me and from others is strong praise for their leadership in getting the show on the road and focusing the nation’s attention on the scourge and the antisocial crime that graffiti is. 
As the member of Parliament for Hamilton West I also must give full credit as I have done in previous contributions to my own city council—to the staff and to the councillors—for promoting many positive anti-graffiti strategies and their strong support by and large for the bill. My own city councillors said the bill on its own is not a panacea is not the total answer. We know that we acknowledge that but it is part of a suite of measures that is very important alongside which goes the bill that we are debating tonight. 
The South Auckland members the Manukau City members have talked about the strong community support for the bill and the strong community initiatives. I mentioned in an earlier debate on the bill that in Hamilton City 1600 members of the Latter-day Saints church community as part of a nationwide day of service got out and cleaned up tags throughout the city particularly in the so-called Poets Corner and Five Cross Roads area but also in parts of my electorate. That was a wonderful example in Hamilton of a church community group showing wonderful community leadership and boy it lifted the morale of the community which joined in. I give a big bouquet in praise. 
That is but one significant example of community buy-in. When I was a member of the select committee 1 o’clock one the morning I was talking to Maori Wardens and security people from the city of Manukau. They took me around and showed me some of the tags. There are some great community safety programmes including Maori Wardens Night Owls—you name it. My good colleague the former deputy mayor of Manukau will certainly attest to that. They are inspirational. These men and women are not on big pay cheques. They just get on and do the work and I think we owe them a debt of gratitude. 
I ask members opposite to please have the glass half-full for once. Let us acknowledge that we are making some profound progress. Let us put cynicism out in the lobby—leave it in the lobby. Let us acknowledge that we are making some really good progress. Let us acknowledge and thank the Manukau City Council and George Hawkins—which Judith Collins did—for their leadership in getting the show on the road. Let us acknowledge that there is some really good Government legislation before the Law and Order Committee at the moment. Let us acknowledge the really wonderful STOP strategy. These are positive things. Let us be positive. I am very very proud to be part of a Government that has heeded the call of the people and is doing what we can to get a solution to a very serious social issue. Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker.