Hide Rodney: Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill — Second Reading In Committee 
Hide Rodney: Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill — Second Reading In Committee 
[Volume:654;Page:3248] 
Hon RODNEY HIDE (Minister of Local Government) 
: 
 I take this minute to appreciate the Hon George Hawkins because I am looking forward to his contribution and he has a birthday coming up tomorrow. If we keep the House in urgency he may save a year and he will be 1 year younger than he otherwise would be. It would also save him having a barbecue. 
We are discussing Part 1 of the Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill. First of all Part 1 sets out the background material that provides the context for the bill. We should not need to debate that too much. I think that everyone is familiar with the background: Auckland’s difficulties the setting up of the royal commission by the previous Government and the current Government’s response. We then move to the purpose of the bill as stated in clause 3(7)(a): “to establish a single unitary authority to govern the entire Auckland region on and from 1 November 2010;”. That is actually the main recommendation of the royal commission. The purpose of the bill accordingly is also as stated in clause 3(7)(b): “to dissolve the existing local authorities that govern the Auckland region (being 1 regional and 7 territorial authorities) at the close of the preceding day;”. I think Labour also agrees with that. 
The third purpose in clause 3(7)(c) is “to establish an entity to facilitate the transition to the new local government arrangements;”. That is necessary because someone has to do the transition and of course as soon as the change is announced there is something of a hiatus for the existing councils. They are quite keen to get a transition agency up and running that they can interact with and that can provide for the smooth and orderly movement to one council. The fourth purpose in clause 3(7)(d) is “to require the existing local authorities and local government organisations to support the reorganisation”. Again that is a necessity if we are to achieve the reorganisation for Auckland. There are also some consequential changes that we need to make. Part 1 outlines the clauses and the parts of the bill defines the terms used in the bill sets out the relationship between this bill and the other local government legislation provides that the legislation properly binds the Crown and most important provides for the Act to be repealed on 1 November 2010 with the good work of the transition agency having been done. 
This is an important day because we have agreement in the Chamber and I think in Auckland that something needs to be done. Of course there will be debate about the best way forward. We look forward to the Opposition holding the Government to account and looking for any gaps or mistakes we make so they can be fixed. The important thing and I think we share this view is that we get the best result that we can for the people of Auckland following on from the work of the royal commission. I make the point that not everyone and I look at Labour members here too has agreed with everything in the royal commission report. I am interested that Labour members say they do not like the at-large councillors. That was a heavy-duty recommendation from the royal commission; they wanted 10. So when we make that decision it is also a decision to step aside from what the royal commission proposed. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Define heavy-duty recommendation! 
Hon RODNEY HIDE 
: It is a heavy-duty recommendation to have 10 at-large councillors. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Are the other recommendations not heavy-duty? 
Hon RODNEY HIDE 
: Of course they are. 
Chris Hipkins 
: But why are you ignoring some but not the others? 
Hon RODNEY HIDE 
: No I am pointing out to Labour members who are saying we have not followed exactly what the royal commission is saying that the Labour Party is not following those recommendations either. I ask Labour members to understand the process here. We need a transition agency now to provide a process for the councils to interact and we are sending to the select committee the very issues that Labour and indeed others have concerns about. Why—because the proper process is to consider those issues through the select committee process. I look forward to Labour members coming up with a consistent position on what they would do for Auckland that all members can latch on to.