Mahuta NanaiaHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Local Government): Firstly in response to clause 2 of the bill which is a very narrow clause and in speaking to the two amendments that have been tabled in the name of the Hon Dr Nick Smith—firstly one recommending the commencement date of the bill being 1 May 2021 and then the second one that the commencement date be 9 October 2022. I'll take them as a combined supplementary set which is in effect changing the day and the dates of the bill coming into effect.Quite simply my response as to why I do not support that and recommend that the committee do not support those amendment changes is that it will in fact delay the opportunity for those councils who resolve to have Māori wards to be in readiness for the 2022 elections. It will prevent them from doing so and the whole contention of this bill was to try and ensure that local authorities have the opportunity to make decisions on Māori wards and constituencies in time for the 2022 election.I do have respect for process and I actually respect councils who over a period of time have contemplated this issue. They've worked in very practical ways to try and give effect to local representation. Over the past 19 or 20 years 24 councils have tried. Only three have succeeded: one by resolution the Waikato Regional Council; one through a local bill—Hon Dr Nick Smith: Are the people wrong?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: You either want to hear the answer or you don't. One through a local bill which is the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and most recently the Wairoa District Council. So only three out of 24 who have tried to use this legislation have in fact succeeded. Now that in itself is indicative of how challenging and onerous this discriminatory provision is to establish Māori wards and constituencies. Secondly the other point to note is that throughout this submission process—and I want to acknowledge all the views on all sides of the spectrum who took the time out to present to the select committee and have their voices heard because the select committee heard all manner of views. But 21 councils submitted to the select committee in favour of the provision. Yes some concerns about time frame but by and large the principle and the policy approach they support it because they know within their local community that time has passed and sentiment and mood has moved on and the benefits of having Māori voice around the decision-making table at the local level is in fact a positive contribution to the way in which the world is moving—certainly New Zealand communities. So I think it's disingenuous for members on that side of the Chamber to make out as if the views that have been around over at least the past six years wanting significant change in this area have been ignored. They have not. Two-thirds of those unique submissions that were heard by the select committee—Hon Dr Nick Smith: 'Cos you jacked it up! They got forward notice.Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: —over 2000 of them—again if the member wants to hear the answer he's quite welcome to stay silent. If he doesn't want to hear it I'll sit down. But two-thirds of the 2000—David Seymour: Point of order Madam Chair. Quite apart from the fact the Minister appears to be filibustering her own bill this is a narrow debate. The question is over the commencement.Hon Members: Ha ha!David Seymour: Well I actually have been keeping a narrow debate. If you could stay silent during a point of order that'd be great. But what the content of the submissions was is simply irrelevant. The questions that have been put—CHAIRPERSON (Hon Jacqui Dean): Oh thank you—[Interruption] Thank you. The member will resume his seat thank you. The member made a good point of order and then started to debate. I will note that I did alert the committee to the fact that this is a clause by clause debate. Therefore the debate should be narrow. However we are in urgency. This is a truncated debate and so I am allowing the debate to range a little bit wider—not too wide members a little bit wider—in order to keep the committee running smoothly. But thank you for that point of order.