Turei Metiria: New Zealand Public Health and Disability (Southern DHB) Elections Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTurei Metiria: New Zealand Public Health and Disability (Southern DHB) Elections Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 08 December 2015. Volume:710;Page:8614. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green): I really hope we get to hear some of National’s southern MPs speak on this legislation given that they are the MPs who represent those voters in that area—the National Party voters in that area. We would expect to hear from some of them rather than from people who have no idea what they are talking about no connection with the place and actually not even any awareness of the legislation.This is the way the National Government treats the democracy of communities in New Zealand—by putting up people who have got no clue what they are talking about—when the legislation here is designed expressly to remove from the people of the southern regions the deep south their right to a democratic say. I guess that is what we have come to expect from the National Government of course. The Government is gaining a great reputation—a fantastic reputation—for being allergic to democracy and to communities in the regions being able to exercise their democratic rights. An example of that is in this bill today.The Green Party will oppose this legislation. The year 2019 is too far away—too far away—for the people of the southern area to have their say on their district health board. I have listened to the contributions from the MPs from the south who understand what they are talking about and I agree—you know we have had terrible issues with the Southern District Health Board over a number of years. You know it is a very close community down there everybody knows what is going on and it has caused real harm to those who have needed high-quality health support. It has caused real harm to those who know the people involved in the district health board and to those who work for the district health board and the families there.The appointment of the commissioners was welcomed in order to try to get some progress on what was going on with the Southern District Health Board but let us not forget how important these kinds of agencies are. Where you elect the officials and those people you know them and you can have contact with them as community members.These kinds of agencies are critical to a community’s engagement with the things that affect them every day. Health services affect New Zealanders every day. That is one of the reasons why we have elections for district health boards. It is the direct connection between the decisions that they make and the well-being of families—of our older people of our kids and of our families.District health boards play a critical role in our communities around the country and so the retention of democratic engagement is absolutely critical. But this is a Government that will take any opportunity—the merest opportunity—to take away from communities their right to have a say. Environment Canterbury has already been raised. I mean just look at what has happened after 5 years. There is still no right for the people in Christchurch and of the Canterbury region to have a say over Environment Canterbury. Environment Canterbury is essentially being run by Wellington. If this bill proceeds as it is that is what will happen with the Southern District Health Board in the deep south. The Southern District Health Board will be run by Wellington according to Wellington interests and the people of that region who have already suffered a great deal from weather events from the loss of jobs from the failure of this Government to have any kind of regional economic development approach—all of those things—and who are really suffering as a regional area will now also be removed from having a democratic say.I want to just acknowledge my colleague Kevin Hague who led the call actually in urging the Government to look at the massive financial discrepancies of the Southern District Health Board more than a year before the Government finally decided to take any action. These are serious issues and that is why the commissioners are in place. Most people support the commissioners in the work that they are trying to do. People have a lot of confidence in a number of those commissioners and we certainly have supported their stepping in.But there is no justification for this legislation coming into the House. There is no justification now for the removal of the elections in 2016. Even if this bill passes—and it may do at its first reading—we will be seeking advice and submissions and talking with people who live in the region who are affected by this bill about when they might want to next have elections because mid-term elections are also possible. Not in this legislation of course because the Government does not want there to be a democratic engagement with the district health board there but mid-term elections are also on the table. That should be a proposal that is available in this legislation and it might have helped build more community support.The whole point here is making sure that we maintain the strongest possible the most open the most transparent and the most engaging democratic process around the world. New Zealand prides itself on its democracy. We can maintain that pride only if we respect the right of New Zealanders to have a say. This bill strips that away. This Government has no respect for the rights of New Zealanders to have a say over their democracy. This is yet another attack which the Green Party will not support. Thank you.