Strange JamieJAMIE STRANGE (Labour): Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. It's a delight to stand and talk on the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill. I'd like to acknowledge the Hon Nanaia Mahuta who's brought this bill to the House. She's doing an excellent job in her portfolio engaging with local government.I'd like to begin by talking about the importance of collaboration between central and local government. As someone who used to work at the Gisborne District Council for four years I understand some of the systems that take place in terms of local government. When we have local government and central government working together it really is—I was going to say it's a beautiful thing but it's certainly a very practical thing and it may be beautiful as well.This is fairly standard sort of legislation here simply updating some of the key aspects around the Local Government Act. This is simply an example of a strong stable Government getting on with the job of governing. Some parties enjoy a bit more of a shock jock style—you know whatever they do with their time—but this Government here we're not into any sort of shock jock stuff. We just get on with governing and that is basically simply what we're doing.It's really making this legislation fit for purpose—fit for purpose—and there are a few key areas that it focuses on. The first one I'd like to talk about—and the previous two speakers Gareth Hughes and Ian McKelvie mentioned it as well—is the aspect around dog control. Now as I said as someone who's worked in local government I've always had a high level of respect for those staff members who work in the area of dog control. It's been said that all politics is local and certainly local government you know out-works a lot of this stuff.Actually the Baha Men once sang Who Let the Dogs Out?". Some might say that relates to politicians but I'm sure it doesn't. I'm sure they were thinking of something different there. But look dog control officers are just an example of some wonderful people who are working to make our community function well and they need support in terms of updating legislation. This specific aspect is around the disability assist dogs. I'm delighted that the Minister has taken this into account in terms of the Productivity Commission's July 2014 report and hence made these changes.Another aspect I'd like to touch on is the Local Electoral Act 2001. The purpose of the changes here are "to empower councils to improve representative and substantial participation in local elections and to clarify when a successful candidate in a by-election may come into office." We've certainly heard quite a few times in this House that we need more participation in local body elections and I acknowledge members on both sides of the House who have been councillors before. The fact is that we're generally around the 30 percent mark for most local body elections. In a by-election recently we got down below 10 percent—for a by-election. This is something that certainly is a problem because we've got people who aren't engaged in our electoral system.I'm very pleased that the wording of the explanatory note of this legislation says "to empower councils to improve representative and substantial participation". So councils may look at electronic means and I know the Hamilton City Council have had discussions around this. This is just one example of what they might do but this bill broadens it so that the councils are empowered to do it the way they want.So just to summarise this is just an example of a Government getting on with the business of governing and updating legislation accordingly. Thank you."