Peachey Allan: Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill — First Reading Second Reading 
Peachey Allan: Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill — First Reading Second Reading 
[Volume:654;Page:3218] 
ALLAN PEACHEY (National—Tamaki) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to speak in support of the Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill and in bringing this first reading to a close to build on the common sense and rationality of speakers like my colleagues Paul Hutchison Tau Henare and the excellent Associate Minister of Local Government John Carter. The rational debate from this side of the House is in such marked contrast to the hyperbole the exaggeration and frankly the crocodile tears of Labour members opposite. That will not be lost tonight on the people of Auckland. Aucklanders are ready for a change. They want change in their governance structure. They made it very very clear at the last election that they wanted a change in Government and the National Government is delivering change. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Fingers in the till! Bad look! Falling apart! 
ALLAN PEACHEY 
: Listen to that Mr Speaker. Did Mr Cunliffe not notice the seats that fell to National in Auckland? Aucklanders wanted change. What seats were they? Auckland Central Maungakiekie and Waitakere all fell to National. Let us think about what Aucklanders said to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance. There were 3500 written submissions and 500 oral submissions. The call for change has been loud and clear. The royal commission has listened and now the Government is listening. One thing that the Labour Opposition has not done is explain what part of the royal commission process was not consultation. In addition to listening to Aucklanders the royal commission received advice from experts in a wide range of fields. It made a considered report. The royal commission visited other international cities to see how they were governed including studying the transition process. The transition process is vital. 
You know out on the streets of Auckland in the shopping centres in the streets and in the parks of my own electorate Tamaki the message is clear: “Do the job. Get it done. Above all else display leadership and make decisions because that is why we put National into Government—to show leadership and to make decisions. And give us”—this is the message from the people of Auckland—“a unified governance structure that will benefit Auckland not just now but for the next 50 to 100 years.” I realise that thinking in terms of 50 to 100 years is impossible for Labour members. They cannot even think beyond the next election because they do not know whether they will even have a future. If they continue down that line their Auckland electorates will speak even more loudly next time. “Do the job show leadership and get the job done. Set up our city for the next 50 to 100 years.” That is what ordinary Aucklanders are saying out on the streets of Tamaki and other constituencies. 
You see what Aucklanders are asking for we are giving them. This bill delivers to Aucklanders what they have asked the royal commission for and what they now expect the National Government to deliver. For years now—decades—Auckland and its citizens have looked in vain for the leadership organisation and structure that will solve their problems. I can run through their problems. For example there are endlessly increasing rates usually driven by Labour councillors; suffocating red tape—and of course Labour loves its red tape does it not; maybe it is just the colour but Labour loves its red tape—transport bottlenecks in the region; delayed development; and lost opportunities. Those are the problems that Aucklanders want fixed and they were all identified— 
Phil Twyford 
: You’ve put David Bennett to sleep Allan—look look! 
ALLAN PEACHEY 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I note with interest that a different Phil is barracking from the Leader of the Opposition’s seat. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: That is not a point of order. It has been quite a noisy and boisterous sitting on both sides. The member is being heard. I invite him to continue. 
Hon Simon Power 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is a point of order when a member moves seats to take advantage of the position to participate in the debate. Although members of this House may not have any choice but be forced to listen to the Hon David Cunliffe who is barracking from his own seat others including Mr Twyford and the fellow behind him have shifted seats to advantage themselves in engaging in the debate and I ask that you bear that in mind. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: Yes I will bear that in mind. I will not take any more—[ 
Interruption 
] No I am OK; I do not need any assistance. There has been some robust debate on either side. The speaker currently speaking has been in many ways provocative. He has been making points against the Opposition and in doing so he invites them to respond and retaliate. It is a well-known rule in this House that that happens and although the noise was getting up it was not in my opinion beyond the threshold that would cause me concern. I invite the member to continue. 
Hon Simon Power 
: Point of order— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I have ruled on the matter. 
Hon Simon Power 
: Yes that is right but— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: Is this a fresh point of order? 
Hon Simon Power 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Yes it is a fresh point of order because the matter you ruled on was about the nature of the debate and how the level of interjections and the nature of the material that was being presented created the crossfire. Actually the point of order that I raised was the fact that members had moved from their seats to gain an advantage in contributing to that debate in the manner you described which is contrary to the Standing Orders and that was the ruling I was seeking Mr Assistant Speaker. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: If the member recalls correctly the member invited me to keep that in mind. We can check the  
Hansard 
. That is what the member did. I do not need to rule on that; I am keeping it in mind. If I feel that the speech has got out of hand and the noise has got beyond that I will certainly keep it in mind and I will tell the members I will do so. I certainly do not need to make a ruling on keeping something in mind. 
Hon Simon Power 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You are quite right; I now ask you to rule. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: My ruling is that I invite Mr Allan Peachey to continue with his debate. 
ALLAN PEACHEY 
: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker; I just felt that that point needed to be made. 
Aucklanders and New Zealanders generally will no longer put up with the cumbersome way in which the Auckland region is run. Important Auckland-wide matters have for too long been tangled up in the competing interests of local councils. Community concerns get tangled up in the local councils’ perspective of Auckland-wide issues. There is a lack of leadership and no single vision for moving the Auckland area forward. 
The royal commission has warned of the consequences of the failure to take action immediately—not when Labour gets around to it but immediately. And the warning that the royal commission has delivered is dire so dire that no responsible Government with the interests of New Zealand at the forefront of its mind—not the interests of Labour ideology but the interests of New Zealand—can ignore it any longer. This is what failure to act will mean for the Auckland region: citizens and businesses will continue to incur high transaction costs in dealing with councils and important decisions that need to be made will either not be made or be made too late. Central government has been unable to develop an effective working partnership with Auckland local government. 
That is why we need to act. All we need to do is look towards the type of New Zealand that will emerge from the current financial crisis that was inspired by the previous Labour Government. We need to look ahead and determine that if our people are to be prosperous if our economy is to grow and if we are to compete internationally for our prosperity and standard of living the country needs an effective efficient and functioning Auckland region. The Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill is not just about today and tomorrow it is about the next 50 to 100 years. It is about the prosperity and standard of living of all New Zealanders. That is why the Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill is receiving its first reading tonight and that is why I support the bill.