King Colin: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
King Colin: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6564] 
COLIN KING (National—Kaikoura) 
: 
 It has been an incredible debate. For one who has listened to it for the majority of the 16 hours of its duration after hearing Rajen Prasad Phil Twyford Carol Beaumont Su’a William Sio Moana Mackey George Hawkins David Shearer and Darien Fenton it would be fair to say that the Opposition has thrown its very best at the Government to test the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill which is before the Committee and it would be fair to say that the Government has repelled the arguments of the other side. As Carol Beaumont said it is about listening to people and I must say that it is quite clear that the Government has listened to the people of Auckland. 
We have heard all sorts of scaremongering and lamenting. We have heard all sorts of foolishness. We have heard comedy and we have heard fantasy. But we must agree that when the chips are down members on this side of the Chamber have had the wherewithal to take Auckland to where it needs to go. One should not be left with any delusion: it has taken a Government with a clear vision and leadership to get it to there. The debate on Auckland governance has been languishing for the last 30 years and it has taken the leadership of a John Key - led Government a Minister of Local Government like Rodney Hide and an Associate Minister of Local Government like John Carter to bring it about. 
When we think about it we know that Aucklanders are ambitious. What we heard from the Opposition was everything other than ambition. We heard about the sale of assets and then we had the Minister explain that the $20 billion of assets— 
Hon George Hawkins 
: It’s $28 billion. 
COLIN KING 
:—the $28 billion of assets—is largely wrapped up in roading. It is also in libraries and in parks. The process of setting up assets for sale is tied up in the long-term council community plan and it is a lengthy process. We see it as being a local government process. We are very confident on this side of the Chamber that once Aucklanders are given the opportunity to have the combined effect of a unitary authority they will organise themselves in such a way that they will be able to address every concern that the Opposition has thrown up be it a social issue or be it an issue around the advisory boards. The Government has been able to address and answer the concerns of the Opposition. 
The point we want to make is that after 16 hours of debate the Opposition has worn itself down with smoke and mirrors scaremongering lamenting comedy and fantasy. Labour was unbalanced reckless and directionless for 9 years and in Opposition it is proving to be even less effective. 
I will conclude my 5 minutes by talking about what the Government did and I come back to the point of listening to the people. Carol Beaumont said we should listen to the people and I think it is very appropriate that after 16 hours the Opposition has thrown the best it possibly can at the debate and the Government has repelled the arguments. National members have heard all sorts of angles coming from the Opposition. I must commend the Minister of Local Government and his Associate Minister John Carter. They have had the internal fortitude and the courage to take Auckland to a position that the rest of New Zealand aspires to. Those of us who live in the regions had been looking with amazement at the lack of direction of the previous Labour Government over its 9 years in office.