Hawkins George: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — First Reading 
Hawkins George: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:659;Page:8560] 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Labour—Manurewa) 
: 
 When the first bill the Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Bill came into this House I was quite pleased. I thought there would be a move to make Auckland one city because that was what we believed in. But we did not understand just how devious the bill was and we kept the House here over the weekend because the bill did not do what it promised. Then the No. 2 bill the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill came in and people came from all over Auckland to make submissions. 
Hon John Carter 
: It was well heard too. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes and the committee was well chaired. In fact it was better chaired than I thought it would be because the chairman promised everyone that everything would be fixed in this third bill. Have members looked at the third bill? Everything has been fixed all right and there are terms that I cannot use here. The chairman smiled at the people of Auckland and they were taken in; taken right in. They thought they were getting something different from what they got. You know when three Ministers outside Cabinet are making all the play on this bill we have to wonder— 
Hon John Carter 
: Three? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes three—that member does not even know how many. First of all there was the Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide. Then there was John Carter. And of course the third one was Pita Sharples. He fought for Maori representation and all he got was a flag. 
Hon John Carter 
: Ha ha! 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: “Hone” Carter can laugh over there but that is what actually happened. But people were swallowed right up— 
Hon John Carter 
: Swallowed right up? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes of course they were. And when we debated the second bill—and I predict it will be the same with this bill—we noted that Cabinet Ministers did not speak. Judith Collins did not speak in the Committee stage or the third reading of the last bill and she will not speak on this bill. Pansy Wong did not speak. Where were Murray McCully or Wayne Mapp? Oh Jonathan Coleman spoke but he made a mistake. He was meant to be sitting down and people were tugging on his coat when he spoke. And of course then there was Paula Bennett whose seat is already gone—a 635-vote majority. I think it is 635; it might be slightly less. [ 
Interruption 
] Well I am counting and I think Mr Twyford is too. It does not take too many people to change their votes—and they are disappointed that that member did not get up to speak on this bill. 
All the members from the North Shore said nothing except Darien Fenton who represented all of the North Shore. She did what John Key should have done and what Wayne Mapp and Mr McCully should have done. And there is the Mayor of North Shore. I know that Andrew Williams is not generally a mate of the politicians down here but he is certainly not happy about the way the wool has been pulled over the faces of the people on the North Shore. 
Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: You’ll get a text in a minute. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Well I would not mind getting a text from him because I think that he has the guts to get up and say what is right. He is sticking up for his people and that is what mayors should do. The trouble is we will have only one mayor and 20 councillors. That is too few to run Auckland. Yet they will raise $580000 to run their campaigns in the last 3 months. 
So what will happen? They will spend a million bucks at least to try to become Mayor of Auckland. Is that a good thing? No it is not because it will take it away from ordinary people. Ordinary people will not be able to stand for the mayoralty. It will be those people who have organisations behind them like Citizens and Ratepayers. And we know what that means—that means the mayor will be a Tory and not even in disguise. These Tories are really good! They do not like the workers. I want to ask John Carter whether the bill has some mistakes in it which have already been found that will be corrected. But no he is too interested in what goes on in Christchurch or in trying to find out what goes on in Cabinet because he is not told. 
We have the situation that many workers who have given loyal service to their various councils will lose their jobs. That is the reality. This bill will not do anything to help those people. We have good mayors who will not stand again. I am talking about people like Calum Penrose in Papakura Bob Harvey— 
Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: He was going to retire anyway. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Oh! Well there is an opportunity for Paula Bennett. Maybe she could try that instead of losing out in Parliament. 
But the biggest biggest hoodwink of them all is rates. People will get something bigger and it will cost less? It sounds like the Warehouse. The reality is that rates will rise and when they rise the people who brought this bill to the House and passed it will see their majorities diminished. Tau Henare spoke a few minutes ago. He made comments about various people. I think he should be very careful where he is on the list because Aucklanders will remember that he said he supported Maori seats but that he would not cross the floor. The real test of people is whether they will stand up for what they think is right. 
Simon Bridges 
: When have you crossed the floor George? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I have crossed the floor. I think— 
Simon Bridges 
: Give us an example; make it more interesting. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: There is the member for Tauranga. He tried to sort out Auckland but he had not been to many places in Auckland. He liked being on the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee. It was good fun. He even got to Waiheke. He enjoyed Waiheke. 
Simon Bridges 
: I loved it. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yeah he loved it. But what did he do for the people of Waiheke? He helped in the deception of the National Government and of course people will not get the things they want. 
When it comes to boundaries many people are disillusioned and worried. Drury and Ardmore have been taken out of Papakura and put into Franklin. The member for Hunua might be celebrating that but the reality is that these people will lose the representation they have had for the last 20 years. People will lose representation. People will have less say but they will pay more. That is what this bill is all about. It is about making sure that the Government has its mates in prime positions. But I can tell the Government that there will be quite a few Labour people who will get there and make life difficult. You see members cannot hoodwink 1.5 million people each time they go to an election. I think that next year’s Auckland local body elections will have the biggest turn-out in years. People will be voting while thinking about their wallets and how much thinner they will be because of higher rates. [ 
Interruption 
] There is a Wellington member screeching out. I have not seen a member’s bill from him suggesting that this process should happen in Wellington. I have never seen anything he has done except heard him make a noise. That is what his expertise is. [ 
Interruption 
] There is the member for Rotorua. At least he has a bit of a go. He is not very successful but at least he has a bit of a go. He is a one-day man—an Easter Sunday man—and the rest of the year can go wherever it likes. 
But in the end John Carter will not be able to smile at the people who come along to make submissions because they know the last time he smiled they did not get what they thought they would get in this bill. 
Hon John Carter 
: They’re getting more George. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Oh they are getting more! There is a National politician—he says they will get more. What a load of bunkum! 
Hon John Carter 
: They’ll be so happy. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The only one who has ever got anything out of this has been Rodney Hide. He has had victory after victory. He got rid of Maori representation. This bill will be very carefully fought.