Twyford Phil: Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Bill — In Committee 
Twyford Phil: Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:661;Page:9988] 
PHIL TWYFORD (Labour) 
: 
 I would also like to quote the  
Timaru Herald 
 this morning. A certain “Commodore Nick Smith” appears in this morning’s  
Timaru Herald 
 and I think there is a wonderful quote that needs to go into the record. 
Jacqui Dean 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. The member opposite made a derogatory comment about the Minister in charge of this bill. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: The point of order is well made. Members are to use a respectful address. Members might have all sorts of titles but I do not see that one listed as Nick Smith’s title. The member will use a person’s correct form of address. 
PHIL TWYFORD 
: I thought “Commodore” was very respectful. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: It is very clear in the Standing Orders and the Speakers’ rulings of this House that members are not to comment on Speakers’ or Chairpersons’ rulings. Once the ruling has been made that is the end of it. If the member wishes to continue he can continue but if he makes a further reference to the ruling that has been made I will terminate his presentation. 
PHIL TWYFORD 
: The quote states: “Dr Smith said part of the reason he replaced the council with commissioners—rather than appointing a commissioner adviser to oversee water management issues as ECan suggested—was he was wary of the outcome of the October elections.” That says it all. The Minister in the chair the Minister for the Environment does not trust the people of Canterbury. He sacks the democratically elected members of the regional council because he is wary of the results of the elections. What does that tell members? He does not trust democracy and he does not trust the people of Canterbury. That says it all. 
I will talk about Part 1 and I will put forward an amendment but I will first touch on one of the aspects that I think is perhaps the most corrosive part of this Government’s affection for oligarchy and its distaste for democracy. When Wyatt Creech was appointed to do the report on Environment Canterbury it rang alarm bells immediately for the reasons that my colleague Ruth Dyson has outlined. The public of Canterbury and the public of New Zealand know well that National is hand in glove with the interests that are pushing and going hard out to free up irrigation and water storage in the interests of dairy farming. The Government knows that Ruth Richardson and Don Brash are directors of dairy companies in Canterbury and that they will be watching very very carefully to see who else is appointed as commissioners to Environment Canterbury. They know that this Government has form when it comes to abrogating democratic structures and undermining our democratic institutions and they know its preference for running our democratic institutions by putting its mates around the table so that it can run our country our cities and our resources in its own commercial interests. 
I have listened last night and this morning to member after member on the Government benches say that Labour members are getting hysterical and emotional about democracy. I make no apologies for being emotional about our country’s democratic institutions. They are the most precious asset we have in our political traditions and for this Government to ride roughshod over those democratic traditions simply because it cannot get its own way and run its own agenda is disgraceful. Colin King said last night that we were ranting and raving about the loss of democratic rights and that the only reason the Government is passing this bill today is because of dysfunction in the Canterbury Regional Council. Well where have we heard that before? Every tinpot dictator from Fiji to the Central African Republic has blamed dysfunctional institutions and squabbling politicians as they do away with democracy at the point of a gun. 
Nicky Wagner said: “I support this bill because water is a significant issue and we can do better.” Hello? The member should hold up the front page. That Canterbury MP is a disgrace for selling out the democratic rights of her electors in the community that she is supposed to be representing. 
There is something wrong with our democracy. There is something wrong with our democratic institutions when members of the governing party think it is OK to shelve our democracy and to shelve our democratic traditions simply because it cannot get its agenda through because “we can do better.” and because Environment Canterbury is “dysfunctional”. Well what will be next? What institution or part of the State will be next replaced by hand-picked commissioners? Which council will be next like the one in Auckland to be corporatised and have its assets and resources handed over to the hand-picked mates of the Government? I have put forward an amendment to Part 1 that I am calling the “second chance” amendment. It is a second chance for the Government to redeem its democratic credentials and step back from the precipice.