Tremain Chris: Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill(No 2) — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTremain Chris: Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill(No 2) — In Committee[Sitting date: 24 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13654. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRIS TREMAIN (Minister of Local Government): Thank you for the opportunity to address this bill and before I do can I just congratulate those members of the House who have had changes to their roles. All the best for the future. Mr Galloway it is good to have a chance—Iain Lees-Galloway: Lees-Galloway.Hon CHRIS TREMAIN: —Mr Lees-Galloway I am sorry—to be in the whip’s chair which is always a challenge but all the best.I just wanted to make a few comments about the Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill (No 2) firstly to thank the Local Government and Environment Committee for the work that it has done on the bill and particularly Nicky Wagner as the chair. Obviously the bill has been non-controversial and has made great progress through the select committee stage. Can I thank those members throughout the Chamber. When one looks at the select committee’s report-back paper it is a fairly brief one. The comments at the end saying that the committee has no matters to bring to the attention of the House is an interesting point. Actually members of the public often will not appreciate that within the House some 60 to 65 percent of the legislation that passes through the House is legislation that the two main parties support. We do not want people to know that too much. I mean there is no news in that but this is an example of that occurring today.It is a good bill—it is a good bill. It provides for local boards to delegate their powers. It moves on from some regulations that were put in place back in 2010 when the amalgamated Auckland Council came together. There were provisional regulations put in place then that expire on 31 October this year. So this simple bill just quite simply puts the ability to delegate powers from local boards into legislation and is carrying that on in perpetuity.So it is a good bill. It is short and concise. I think it goes to the heart of how well local boards are working in Auckland. There was some concern when the Auckland Council came together about how it would work how it would land but I think that atthis point in time there are not many in this House who would actually go back to the old council model. I think there is good—Phil Twyford: Andrew Williams.Hon CHRIS TREMAIN: Andrew Williams perhaps. I see that even New Zealand First members are shaking their heads down there now.Tracey Martin: Exceptional—local boards are exceptional.Hon CHRIS TREMAIN: Oh local boards are exceptional. We look forward to hearing about that.Phil Twyford: Eugenie Sage might.Hon CHRIS TREMAIN: Eugenie Sage might? Well we will let Eugenie have her own words on this particular bill.I want to commend the bill. It is good progress. I think this is a good advance. Local boards are a key part of the Auckland community now and having the ability for them to delegate powers is an essential law which we deliver tonight. Thank you.