Bennett GlenGLEN BENNETT (Labour—New Plymouth): Kia ora Mr Speaker. Thank you for allowing me to take a call this evening on the Local Government (Pecuniary Interests Register) Amendment Bill. To my colleague Tangi Utikere MP for Palmerston North—now I know this might not be interesting to many people but I am the MP for New Plymouth which is not Palmerston North and quite regularly people get that mixed up and confused. But I'm OK because I have a charming colleague in my midst so if they confuse me for the MP for Palmerston North I'm quite happy with that.Now I will just continue I guess the narrative this evening with our speakers. I know that my colleague Tāmati Coffey brought it up but we've had a mayor speak we've had a deputy mayor speak we've had now a regional councillor speak and I'm not sure if I want to bring it up but I'm probably not qualified—I'm not sure if my party knows this but I'm actually a failed district councillor. Well I'm actually a failed district councillor candidate should I say—let's get that right! I ran a really bad campaign. I had a busy life I had a busy busy home and my $15 advertising budget failed miserably but I hit the middle of the pack. This was 10 12 years ago when I was far younger slimmer less grey more hair all that kind of waffle. So I was committed to running for Labour last year and so I ran. In fact I didn't work all of last year as I ran for the Labour Party in New Plymouth and I was successful by a number. Anyway back to the bill—back to the bill. Let us focus right now. So I'm really pleased that this better aligns councils with us here as members of the House and of the executive here in Wellington and as my colleague Mr Utikere talked about it's around that transparency. He talked about ratepayers deserving to know what could influence their representatives and that this provides another layer of transparency which is what I often hear and I'm sure we all hear talked about. I was more than happy in my first term here to declare all of my property and all the other things which is very little that I have. And I see that in our local government that it's the same thing and it's a great opportunity and a simple piece of legislation to correct that. Now as the MP for New Plymouth sometimes I think maybe you could have a broader name to take and encompass the beautiful North Taranaki that stretches from Waitara in the north down to Ōpunake towards the south.Hon Member: Good spot.GLEN BENNETT: It's a great spot on the West Coast Mr Speaker—I know you know it well. I have two councils within my electorate: I have the South Taranaki District Council and I have the New Plymouth District Council. Now I did some research into that and they both actually have implemented a register of declaration of interests. Now South Taranaki from what I read it's basically held on site. It's something that's there that just needs to be declared each year. And for the New Plymouth District Council they only brought it into play this year. So this is the first time they had a declaration. So I looked it up and I was quite curious to know who I voted for who I didn't vote for and what their interests were or are. Four of them didn't actually declare anything at all and obviously with this piece of legislation that'll ensure that everyone does. But there were people who were part of the Taranaki Electricity Trust; the Waitara District Services and Citizens Club; Full Circle Bespoke Life Events—that's like a celebrant just so you know; of course our wonderful New Plymouth Operatic Society; our Taranaki Chamber of Commerce; as well as people who are residential property owners they were lifestyle block property owners; and our deputy mayor is the director—I just looked it up—of Fun Ho! Toys. Now who doesn't know Fun ho! Toys? Oh geez. OK—Hon Member: Tell us about it.GLEN BENNETT: Well Fun Ho! Toys is Inglewood's which is a fabulous—it was the sort of 1930s 40s and 50s when it was huge those metal toys—everyone had a Fun Ho! toy. Greg O'Connor: That's not why we remember Inglewood.GLEN BENNETT: Right OK let's move on quickly thank you Mr O'Connor; I won't go into that! Anyway I support this piece of legislation and I'm really proud of my colleague Tangi Utikere who came into Parliament with me. I support this and I look forward to seeing how it goes at select committee. I commend this to the House.