Kaye Nikki: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
Kaye Nikki: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:663;Page:11464] 
NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) 
: 
 I am delighted to speak on this historic legislation. I am delighted to be here this evening to talk about the many changes that have happened as a result of the select committee process. But first I make a few comments about how Labour members failed in this process and I give members a couple of instances. Mr Twyford stands up in this Chamber and talks about local democracy. Mr Twyford not only went out and protested while he was a member of a select committee but he actually organised the protest. If that is not a constitutional outrage and if that is not a lack of democracy then I do not know what is. 
Second it is very difficult to be lectured by Labour members about democracy when all we have to mention is the one phrase “the Electoral Finance Act”. Members on the Government side of the Chamber know that it is very difficult to receive lectures about democracy from members on that side of the Chamber after that legislation. 
But I want to talk about the wonderful provisions within this bill that will lead to greater democratic participation for Aucklanders. In particular speakers opposite have talked about youth engagement. What is wonderful about this legislation is that it is different. It is different for youth. We now have and I refer members to the part of the bill regarding youth engagement a specific reference that will require the mayor to take into account youth views and to set up a mechanism that will enable the council to engage with youth. That is a significant change for the people the youth of Auckland. Members opposite wanted a defined structure within the legislation but what they failed to show and what they failed to represent was how they would put that structure within the legislation given there were so many different submissions on it. 
But we also have greater local democracy here and I want to talk about that for a second. We currently have a community board system within Auckland whereby the community boards have been at the whim of councillors. Some areas of Auckland have not been able to have even community boards. Members opposite—and I have talked to members opposite—have been slip-sliding on their position so often. When it came to how many local boards we would have members on this side of the Chamber were very clear: we stood for 21; those on that side of the Chamber wanted six to nine. I challenge Mr Twyford to stand up and talk about the number of local boards he wanted to deliver for Auckland. This side of the Chamber is very clear. We are putting in a structure that will finally guarantee local board structures to communities of Auckland. If we listened to the Opposition we would not hear about what is in the legislation. 
The other key point about these local board structures is that there are several key protections. The first is the principle of subsidiarity. So I say to those members opposite who talk about local boards’ functions and powers being stripped away that they have not read the last piece of legislation or even this piece of legislation. There is a clear principle of subsidiarity which says that any decision making goes to the local board unless the governing body can prove that it is regional. Finally members can understand that that provision is actually very significant. 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. This is a very very serious debate and I am concerned that the Minister in the chair the Minister of Local Government is bringing the Committee into dispute by texting while this discussion is going on. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I am the judge of that thank you. I ask the member to sit down. We have a debate going on. It is a robust debate. [ 
Interruption 
] I am on my feet—there are a lot of interjections that are not related to the debate. I will decide the relevance or otherwise of what the Minister is doing. 
NIKKI KAYE 
: As I was saying we are moving from a system of community boards that have been at the whim of councillors and have had no power to a system of local boards whereby there is a principle of subsidiarity that will enable decisions to be made locally unless the governing body can prove that they are regional. 
The other key protection the other key facet of this legislation which is crucial—and which members opposite have not picked up yet because they failed to turn up to the select committee a number of times—is that it is a collaborative process. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. The speaker opposite knows she cannot mention the presence of members at select committees or their absence. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: There is a clear ruling. One cannot refer to members who are not present. I ask the member to continue. She has a minute remaining. 
NIKKI KAYE 
: There is a local board plan process whereby for the first time there will be a requirement to have an agreement between the governing body and the local boards. There will be a dispute resolution process for cases where there is disagreement. That protection will provide for those local boards to be able to get what they want at a local board level. 
This is a historic day. We have made many changes to this legislation. I look forward to talking in detail about all the changes because members opposite are just reading their previous speaking notes. They have not looked at what happened during the select committee process. They are using slogans like “lack of democracy” which we have already talked about. I look forward to addressing issues such as privatisation in other speeches I will be giving. 
I make it clear to the people of Auckland that is a historic day. We will have a system of one regional entity and one mayor that will finally be able to deliver from a cultural social economic and environmental perspective to the people of Auckland.