Cunliffe David: General Debate 
Cunliffe David: General Debate 
[Volume:653;Page:2714] 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour—New Lynn) 
: 
 I quote: “I am sure that by the time this proposal for Auckland is rolled out we will have got it right”. With those immortal words John Key admitted what everybody in Auckland already knows; that is by goodness has National stuffed up on the super-city. Polls show that more than 70 percent of Aucklanders think National has got it wrong and 72 percent in John Key’s own electorate in Helensville think National has got it wrong. Nobody believes John Key’s public relations shuffle is all Rodney Hide’s fault because who put the fox in the chicken coop in the first place? 
It is no wonder that Paula Bennett is not here. She is in such a panic that she is floating like a giant blimp in west Auckland trying to harness a fight back because she knows westies are marching in the streets against this undemocratic nonsense. It is no wonder that every suburban newspaper is railing against the “stupid city” or the “stupor city”. They are sick to death of it already. It is no wonder that National’s honeymoon in Auckland is now firmly over because every Labour MP in Auckland can count their majorities rising as people take to the streets against that lot of promise breakers. Here is what National said in its manifesto: “Support . . . people within the Auckland region [expressing] their views” “Consult with Aucklanders once the findings of the Royal Commission are known.” “making sure each community in our biggest city feels appropriately represented.” This is a far cry from what we got today. 
It is no wonder that more than 1000 west Aucklanders marched in the streets last week. It is no wonder that more than 250 people came out to a cold wet Monday night meeting in Kelston. It is no wonder that National is worried because “John Hide” and “Rodney Key”—are those not Freudian slips—have stolen our eco-city they have stolen our art city and they have stolen our smart business city all to get John Banks elected as mega-mayor. It is no wonder because National has broken another election promise. It is no wonder because it is overriding section 49 of the Local Government Act 1974 that requires a referendum on structural reform. National has emasculated local democracy in Auckland where 22 local boards cannot buy a pencil sharpener without John Banks’ permission. They cannot buy a pencil sharpener and they cannot hire anybody. All they are allowed to do is license brothels and clean up rubbish. That is not local democracy that is not community development and that is why Waitakere residents are rising up to fight this plan. Labour stands alongside the people of Waitakere City. 
Labour wants a ward system where every councillor knows who his or her constituents are not one with eight white men from Remuera whose job it is to keep John Banks in power. Those at-large wards are a crying shame because hundreds of thousands of dollars are needed to run a campaign across Auckland. The real people in my electorate need not apply; they need not run because they do not have $250000 per letter drop to spend on contacting every Auckland home—that is for only the rich and the famous. Traditionally the white men of Remuera can run for and win an at-large ward. That means that the Auckland super-city will be permanently stacked to the right. National members know it they are smugly sitting there because they know it but what they did not count on was that every ordinary westie knows it. That is why westies are taking to the streets. That is why they are bombarding Ministers’ offices with letters and emails. That is why Paula Bennett is scurrying around Waitakere as we speak. That is why John Key is backtracking as fast as his public relations minders will let him and that is why the honeymoon is over in west Auckland. This issue has politicised the people of the west. It has told National members that if they thought they could get these guys elected and nothing would change they are so wrong.