Jones Shane: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
Jones Shane: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:663;Page:11470] 
Hon SHANE JONES (Labour) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Chair. I tell folks that that was Tau Henare of Te Atatu the area that means in our Maori language “the dawn”. But this legislation is very sad for Aucklanders because it is no dawn event. As well that man allowed his speech to degenerate into invective. He did not need to begin with Parekura Horomia and the weight-reduction course to become the biggest loser. He has gone through so many permutations in Maori political camouflage in this Parliament: Aotearoa Tuatahi—tuatahi; Mana Motuhake—tuarua; Mauri Pacific—tuatoru; and the National Party—tuawha. Tahi rua toru wha—that member and his career and its relevance to this legislation are far out beyond Te Atatu. 
Simon Bridges 
: Where is Phil Goff? 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: Oh we are being educated by the member for Tauranga who today asked an oral question about the welfare of animals. Why? Because he has an interest in “cocky spaniels” because that is the countenance and heritage at the moment of the political character he has brought to the Chamber. But we will not bother Aucklanders with any further comment about that small irrelevant canine barker from Tauranga. Let us put a certain level of reality into this debate. 
Tau Henare has every reason to fear. He knows that Rodney Hide and the ACT Party despite their numerical modesty have triumphed over members on the Government benches. They did not want the “Gotham City” that will be evident every time the dawn greets Te Atatu. They did not want power residing in glass shiny towers in Queen Street. They wanted power to be spread around but instead they have enraged the people of the north and sucked in the rural elements of Rodney Te Hana and Whakapirau which is otherwise known as Wellsford. People there need to go back to the Maori name of Whakapirau because this is a rotten bill for Wellsford. This is a rotten bill for people in that part of the north. 
Hon John Carter 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. The member might care to know that Whakapirau is above the northern boundary. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: That is a debating point. 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: I would like the opportunity to give that member  
The Reed 
Dictionary of Maori Place Names 
. The original Maori name for Wellsford is Whakapirau. The man there is talking about waka pirau. One of these means “a rotten waka”—the one he occupies. The other means “to put the light out” which is what has happened to Wellsford Rodney Warkworth and right down to Franklin. Rest assured the member John Carter does know a thing or three unlike Tau and my good friend “Hone Katakata” about such matters. 
Let us focus on why Auckland neighbourhoods are so disappointed. First budgetary pressures will prevent local communities from having any resources to give either substance or fuel to their desire to the much-vaunted principle that is referred to by Nikki Kaye as subsidiarity. No one has subsidiarity unless she or she has power or resources. There is no power and there will be minuscule resources down in these small garden society - orientated local committees. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Tell us about your Supplementary Order Paper. 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: In relation to the Supplementary Order Paper that Tau Henare refers to I say that it is a very simple but overdue improvement to this bill and that is having two Maori seats. They are seats designed for citizens. They are seats designed not for marae not for runanga and not for mana whenua but for Maori citizens just as we have such a device that enables—perish the thought—Hone Harawira and others to come to Parliament. However that is a temporary aberration that will soon pass as a consequence of their being found to be powerless and hopeless in relation to this bill. Our focus is on enriching the citizenship qualities of our Maori ratepayers and residents because they know one thing: that they will have no power and plenty more rates. Before members opposite talk to members on this side of the Chamber about place names or rates they should get their facts straight.