Bradford Sue: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
Bradford Sue: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6515] 
SUE BRADFORD (Green) 
: 
 I take just a moment to offer a Green Party perspective on some of the amendments that members of parties other than ours have put forward on the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill that is before us tonight. First I thank Hone Harawira and the Maori Party for their series of amendments relating to the provisions for guaranteed Maori representation on the new Auckland Council. We will support all of Mr Harawira’s amendments as we agree that there should be mana whenua representation from Ngati Whatua and Tainui and also that there should be a Maori seat or seats on the council elected by all Maori in Auckland who are eligible to vote. Those are both amendments that Mr Harawira has put up. 
In a similar vein we also support Mita Ririnui’s amendment aimed at ensuring the new council will include Maori members elected in proportion to the number of Maori in Auckland on the Maori electoral roll. I realise that it is in one sense contradictory to support all of the Maori Party and Labour Party options but fundamentally as I am sure all members are well aware by now the Green Party is committed to the principle that this bill should include Maori seats in some form that is acceptable to tangata whenua and particularly to mana whenua however it is achieved. I am deeply regretful that National continues to oppose any version of Maori representation at the core council level—or at the community board level for that matter—and this is one of the principal grounds on which we will continue to oppose this legislation. 
The Green Party will likewise vote for an amendment from Phil Twyford that seeks to change the bill to ensure that there is a review of the legislation in 5 years. This is an interesting amendment given the significance of the changes that are being made. Mr Twyford seems to be the first person to have thought that perhaps there should be some kind of review process at some point and I thank him for putting that amendment forward. Although I am not sure that a select committee is the ideal mechanism by which to carry out such a review at least it has the benefit of participation from across the political spectrum and of public involvement through a submission process. We will support it accordingly. 
Then we come to a number of amendments from Labour members relating to the establishment of three different advisory bodies. Su’a William Sio seeks to set up a Pacific Advisory Board aimed at representing the views of Pacific Island peoples on the new council and Raymond Huo aims to do the same thing with an Asian Advisory Board. These amendments meet the requests of a number of submitters to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee from both the Pacific Island and Asian communities which were backed I might say by people from both Maori and Pakeha communities who were all very well aware of the large Asian and Pacific Island population we have in Auckland. We agree it is important that the voice and interests of Pacific and Asian peoples and communities are clearly and well represented on the Auckland Council and we will vote to support both of those supplementary order papers. 
Likewise with Jacinda Ardern’s amendment aimed at establishing an Auckland Youth Council and territorial youth forums the Green Party will support this bid to ensure young people are consulted at both council and local board level. As Ms Ardern notes people aged under 25 make up 37 percent of our population in Auckland and I share her concern that the voice of youth will not be adequately represented at either level of council without some mechanisms that guarantee their participation. 
Another amendment that the Green Party wholeheartedly endorses is Mr Twyford’s move to restrict the sale or privatisation of Auckland’s local body assets. One of the biggest risks in this whole process is that what is in fact going on is a structural preparation of Auckland’s infrastructure in a way that will facilitate selling off assets once the right team—and I use the term “right” advisedly—manages to take control of the city whether sooner or later. We do not want to see airport shares public housing water services stadiums parks libraries community halls swimming pools or anything else hocked off into private ownership. Between them the current Auckland councils hold a huge number of assets. It is critical that we do everything we can to restrict hinder delay and put off any possible privatisation. Mr Twyford’s requirement that there be a referendum under the Local Government Act before any sale takes place is one way of beginning to achieve that goal. 
I take this opportunity to once again invite members to support the four Green Party amendments that lie on the Table.