Kaye Nikki: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
Kaye Nikki: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6468] 
NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) 
: 
 I want to pick up on the comments made by some of the previous speakers this morning. Ms Ardern made a number of comments about youth representation. It is true that there were some pretty impassioned speakers on the subject of youth representation at the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee. We held a number of public meetings on the issue and we received some great contributions from across Auckland on the issue. But as I said to Ms Ardern the other day a number of issues will be dealt with in the third Auckland bill. The issues around youth representation Pacific representation and support for groups with disabilities have been flagged as issues that will be addressed in the next bill. 
I say to those listening that all the Supplementary Order Papers that have been put forward by Labour members are just an opportunity for Labour members to talk about issues other than the issues they do not want to talk about—which are the issues within this legislation. The reason they do not want to talk about the issues within this legislation is that as many members have already noted the Labour Party supports a unitary authority for Auckland. 
Labour has moved to a position where it actually supports 20 local boards. So we are in a position that is unique: we are inarguably on the cusp of one of the most important changes in local government in terms of Auckland’s governance but we are in an odd situation whereby the Opposition is spending a whole lot of time talking about everything but the legislation because it actually supports the legislation. Labour supports one council and it supports 20 local boards. 
I must say it took Labour quite a while to come to the position of supporting 20 local boards. The reason it came to that position is that when we were going through the select committee process Mr Twyford recognised that he was in big trouble with the Labour Party caucus. He was in trouble because he had argued for only six local entities and some members of his party were frustrated. Su’a William Sio and many other Labour members did not want to campaign in 2011 as the party that argued for no local representation. 
I am proud to be supporting a bill that will finally deliver a strong regional entity for Auckland. It will finally deliver grassroots democracy for Auckland. I want to touch on another issue that has been raised during the debate today particularly by the Green Party and I acknowledge Catherine Delahunty and the contribution she made when she sat on the select committee. A lot of myths have been spoken about the powers of local boards. I want to make this very clear: the people who came to the select committee said they wanted funding. They also said they wanted decent functions and powers. The Government delivered on those things for the people of Auckland. 
Members opposite said that the Auckland Council will have the ability to override a lot of what the local boards do. That is absolutely false. Provisions in the bill in clause 13D in particular make it very clear that with some exceptions decisions will be made at the lowest possible level in terms of non-regulatory activity. So any member who stands in the Chamber and says anything different is speaking a load of hogwash. 
Today we are delivering to the people of Auckland a strong regional entity with strong local boards. I feel for those community board members who came to the select committee and said they had been constantly overridden. We are finally delivering to them the local democracy they need. I am proud to be supporting this legislation. It will finally give them a strong local entity so that they will be able to deliver for their communities. Any assertion to the contrary is wrong. 
The other point I want to make is that the third Auckland bill will contain an independent dispute resolution mechanism so if there is a situation where the Auckland Council tries it on and tries to grab more power the resolution mechanism will enable the local board members to be able to go through that process and ensure they do get responsibility over local matters. 
I am very proud to be in the Chamber to support this bill. I am proud to support one strong regional entity for Auckland and 20 to 30 local boards. That is also what the Labour Party supports. It is disappointing that members opposite stand and talk about everything but the core parts of the legislation at this historic time in Auckland’s history—indeed in New Zealand’s history. I am proud to stand in support of the legislation.