Twyford Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Twyford Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:663;Page:10970] 
10. 
PHIL TWYFORD (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Local Government 
: Does he stand by his statement regarding his Auckland reforms that “in my view all aspects of the reform process are progressing well …”? 
Hon RODNEY HIDE (Minister of Local Government) 
: 
 Yes. In fact the full quote was: “all aspects of the reform process are progressing well considering the size and complexity of the task.” I would like to say today that the reform process is going extremely well and I am particularly looking forward to the report back of the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill on Monday. 
Phil Twyford 
: Does he think that the nearly 60 percent of Aucklanders who according to the  
New Zealand Herald’s  
recent poll are against his handing over three-quarters of council business to unelected council-controlled organisations will agree that the reforms are progressing well? 
Hon RODNEY HIDE 
: I think that a lot of the concerns that Aucklanders have expressed have been heard loudly and clearly by the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee when hearing submissions and I think that Aucklanders will be pleased with the results of the select committee’s deliberations which will be announced on Monday. 
Phil Twyford 
: Does he consider it to be good progress that well over half of Aucklanders believe that his super-city will be a worse place to live in? 
Hon RODNEY HIDE 
: What I can say is that a comment— 
Hon Shane Jones 
: Answer the question. 
Hon RODNEY HIDE 
: In commenting about Aucklanders one Aucklander said the reforms were well overdue and that the previous Government had done nothing. That commentator was Phil Twyford and I am actually very pleased that Aucklanders are on board. There are some concerns about the change that is occurring and I am sure that those concerns will be addressed firstly on Monday and then as the changes are progressively announced through to 1 November. 
Phil Twyford 
: When he thinks he has made good progress but well over half of Aucklanders as reported in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 
believe that he has made a mess of the changes which viewpoint is more credible? 
Hon RODNEY HIDE 
: We are concentrating on getting a good result. I have to say that for that member who cannot actually get a seat from his own colleagues in which to stand in Auckland to suggest—[ 
Interruption 
] I am pointing out that if Mr Twyford could get just half of his party’s members in Auckland to support him he could have a seat. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I point out that that kind of answer is quite unnecessary and leads to disorder. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have to point out that that kind of answer will lead to disorder. I say to members who are asking questions that when they frame their questions by asking what the Ministers thinks about certain things or what he believes about certain things it is very difficult to stop a Minister from saying what he or she thinks or believes especially if it is a fairly broad question. That is the dilemma that members need to think about when asking questions. If they invite Ministers to say what they think about something they may not like what a Minister says. That said I think the Minister’s answer was unnecessarily gratuitous and unhelpful.