Sio Su'a William: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
Sio Su'a William: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6552] 
SU’A WILLIAM SIO (Labour—Mangere) 
: 
 I feel sorry for the member who just spoke Dr Paul Hutchison because he is advocating quite strongly to change the southern boundaries of Auckland but the National Government—his Government—is not listening to him. I really feel sorry for him. 
There is no dispute that Labour supports the reformation of the Auckland governance structure. We have been upfront with that. We stated that right from the beginning. However we say to the Government—and I hope it is listening—that the process has been flawed. It has been a sham in many respects because the Government kept announcing decisions before the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee had even completed its work. The structure it has set up is undemocratic. It is a flawed governance structure for the biggest region in our nation. It would not be so bad if the Government was just tinkering around the edges of local government but this is significant change. The Government will change the landscape the shape and the face of local government and then I suspect it will roll it out. 
The Minister in the chair the Hon John Carter made reference to the assets of local government and to the long-term council community plan. He said that each council would determine whether it sells its assets. That may be so but every one of those assets is now currently being held in each of the local governments—in Manukau North Shore Waitakere Franklin Papakura and Rodney. Those assets are held by a group of councillors representing their particular region. Each of those regions will base its decisions on a certain philosophy. In Manukau for example where 18 councillors represent eight wards we have always traditionally had a philosophy of holding on to our assets. That is the reason why we currently have 10 percent of shareholdings in Auckland International Airport. From those shares we have been able to fund our free swimming pools and support the development of activities for our young people our libraries and our sports fields. That is now at risk. All those assets—not just those of Manukau but also those of Papakura whose people told the select committee that they wanted to save Papakura—have been put at risk. 
All of those local government authorities have been snuffed out by the first bill the Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Bill which was rammed through under urgency and all those assets are now lumped under one structure. The Government is also getting rid of all the mayors councillors and community boards that currently exist and it is giving full power authority and privileges to only 20 councillors. Those 20 councillors are supposed to represent the 1.4 million people of the Auckland region. That is undemocratic. I strongly feel and the public holds this view that this is a set-up by this Government to make it easier to get rid of the $28 billion worth of public assets. 
Members of the select committee which sat in Manukau and throughout the region would have heard the strong voice of the people of Manukau argue strongly that they do not want to sell the airport shares. Those airport shares were funded by ratepayers. The numerous land tracts that exist in Manukau are funded and maintained by ratepayers in Manukau. We have borrowed money and we have paid off those loans and I ask what will happen to that asset. That is the fear. The current structure being put up by the Government does not propose to protect those assets whatsoever. That is the fear that exists out in the community. Nothing being put into the governance structure has any protection whatsoever. The result of this structure which we oppose is an unbalanced model.