Hawkins George: Local Government (Protection of Auckland Assets) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Hawkins George: Local Government (Protection of Auckland Assets) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:656;Page:5715] 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Labour—Manurewa) 
: 
 Sometimes in Parliament and in caucus people think I am a bit of a right-winger. I do not know why they think that because I say that we cannot trust a National Government. I have been in politics both at a local level and in Parliament for 30 years and I have yet to see a National Government that keeps its word. It changes it manoeuvres it twists and it turns. I want to talk about why we cannot trust a National Government. 
The Local Government (Protection of Auckland Assets) Amendment Bill has been put forward to try to make people feel a little easier. I remember when as Mayor of Papakura we owned 1.6 percent of Auckland International Airport. I sold that to the Government thinking that the Government would then have a majority and would look after the asset. What happened? Back in 1998 the Government sold its shares. It let down the people of Auckland—so we cannot trust the National Party. National members said they would not sell any assets in their first term in Government but they will in their second term and they will wriggle around in their first term. We have seen the policy changes the wriggles and the squirming all along. John Banks sold off the pensioner housing in Auckland and there are pensioners who will be sleeping tonight in a very restless way because they know that you cannot trust the National Government. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I am sorry Mr Deputy Speaker. I know that you would not do that to pensioners yourself. I have to say that this Government cannot be trusted. Yes it is up in the polls at the moment but that will not last. People like Paula Bennett will regret not supporting this bill. She is in a minority of National MPs in Auckland she is one of the poorest polling members and she will be down the gurgler. She will be gone. 
I think it is interesting that people in Manurewa indeed the whole of Manukau are worried what will happen with their swimming pools. OK at the moment there is protection but we all know National Governments of old and— 
Hon John Carter 
: Ha ha! 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: John Carter is laughing as he thinks of all the money. When they want to do an asset sale they will grab them. They are already talking about a $250 million saving in assets. They will sell them—that is how they will realise that $250 million. The assets will go. This Government can sit over there and we can have someone from Tauranga thinking he knows all about Auckland but he does not. He does not know a thing about Auckland. I know he has been there once or twice. But that is not very good. Perhaps he should ask Ms Lee what happens to people who stand for public office in Auckland when the party sees they are not up to it. That is what will happen in Auckland. They will see that people cannot trust the National Government to hold on to assets. It does not matter what the asset is and it does not matter whether it is $250 million that it will save on public buildings. We have already seen the National Government talking about the airport and how that may go. In the end I think people will realise that this bill is an honest attempt to do something about protecting Auckland assets. 
Now I am going to criticise this bill so those Tories who have gone to sleep had better listen. I think this bill should apply nationwide. If this bill is referred to a select committee I think we should discuss more than protecting just Aucklanders. We ought to protect the people of Christchurch and Invercargill. We should protect people up and down the country—everyone. We should even protect people from Kaiapoi and Tauranga. We should look after all of New Zealand. Hopefully at the select committee this bill will be amended so that it covers the whole of New Zealand rather than just Auckland. There may be 1.4 million people in Auckland who deserve the support of this House but so do all New Zealanders.