Twyford Phil: Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Bill — Third Reading 
Twyford Phil: Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:654;Page:3728] 
PHIL TWYFORD (Labour) 
: 
 Even after such a brief speech it is great to be following Judith Collins because that member knows something about crushing. She knows about crushing the spirit of the people of Auckland. 
Hon Judith Collins 
: No I just crush your spirit hon! 
PHIL TWYFORD 
: Ha ha! So much promise so much good work and so much wisdom was invested by the royal commission—by Dame Margaret Bazley the Hon Peter Salmon and David Shand—over 18 months. They worked they analysed and they consulted; they talked to the people of Auckland. There were about 3500 thousand submissions we have heard. They travelled the world looking at some of the most interesting and progressive examples of local and city government. They produced a report that has met the expectations they raised. They generated a blueprint for the government of Auckland—strong government—for the next 50 years. But what has this National Government done? What has it done with the aid of the “little emperor” from Epsom? It has picked the eyes out of that report. It has ignored all the good stuff and picked out the bits just the little bits that its members understand. 
What are those bits? They are the bits about the centralising of power. That is all that National members care about and understand. They want to centralise power hand it over to their mates their cronies and lock up Auckland government for the next generation. On top of that they have driven the legislation through like a bulldozer with no consultation and no regard for basic democratic standards. And that is what we have seen this weekend from the comments of National members. We are beginning to see a very familiar pattern. We saw it with Stephen Joyce and the announcement on the Waterview Connection and we saw it with Murray McCully in the way he dealt to NZAID against the advice of his own officials and against the advice of the aid community. 
We are seeing a pattern of work that we have seen over the royal commission’s report on Auckland. It is straight out of the play book of Crosby/Textor. What is done? The announcement is made critics are allowed to complain and grizzle a bit of time is given and then the bulldozer is driven on through and finishes the job. Whoever would have thought that the National Party of the last 3 years in Opposition would get into Government and ride roughshod over its own manifesto promises? There was a promise in black and white that it would consult the people of Auckland on the findings of the royal commission. But has it consulted? No—not one iota! There have been no changes since 7 April when Rodney Hide announced what the Government was going to do. Yet Rodney Hide and John Key have gone around Auckland talking to mayors and community groups and “making nice”—“We’re listening. We’re listening yeah. Nothing is set in stone. You know we really want to hear your views.” But nothing has changed in the last 5 weeks and nothing has changed in the last 3 days in this House. 
What have we seen in the last 3 days? We have seen an abuse of this House we have seen an abuse of the principles of urgency in this House and on top of that this Government has legislated away Aucklanders’ right to a referendum—to have a say to have a voice. But do you know what? That is entirely appropriate when we look at the substance of this legislation because it is the antithesis of democracy. The bill for which we are having the third reading sets out the Auckland Transition Agency. But what is that transition agency but a power grab? It is the abrogation of the democratic rights of 1.4 million Aucklanders who 18 months ago voted in their mayors their councillors seven councils and a regional council. But what is the effect of this legislation? It takes away their powers. Those councils can do no more than have an item on the agenda of their meetings for it to be checked and abrogated by the transition agency. Five hand-picked cronies of Rodney Hide the “little emperor” have the power of Auckland—6500 employees $28 billion in assets—sitting in their hands. Who is “Mr 3 percent” accountable to? Is it to the people of Auckland? I do not think so. 
John Carter and Rodney Hide have talked a lot about consultation in the last few days—a lot about consultation. Well let us talk about promises of consultation. Last night Nikki Kaye the MP for Auckland Central savaged me—it was like being mauled by a chihuahua as she barked across the Chamber at me—when asking what my policy was on community boards. I will tell the House what our policy is on community boards. We believe in real local democracy—real local democracy. We want a second tier of local government that is actually capable of making a difference to the lives and communities of Aucklanders—not those ridiculous pathetic talk shops that the National Government is foisting on Aucklanders. 
Clause 15 of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill says that “The Council may delegate to a local board any of its responsibilities duties and powers except the ones listed in clause 32(1)(a) to (f) of Schedule 7 of the Local Government Act 2002.” Let us have a look at that clause. It states that local authorities are not allowed to delegate setting a rate making a by-law borrowing money purchasing or disposing of assets adopting a plan appointing a chief executive or adopting or consulting on a long-term plan or governance statement. Quite frankly there is actually very little in this legislation that a local board or community council will be able to do. It is a con job; the Government says that it wants to consult on it but if it is serious about that why is it legislating away those rights and powers? 
The size of local boards is also an issue. If there are 20 local boards as the Government says may happen at the lower end each of them will be representing 70000 citizens. That is a population the size of New Plymouth’s. 
Jonathan Young 
: Great city! 
PHIL TWYFORD 
: Where is Jonathan Young? Is he here tonight? He is—OK. But can Mr Young imagine a city the size of New Plymouth with 69000 people but with no power to rate to own anything to employ staff or do any planning for its community? Is that the kind of local government that people want in New Plymouth I ask Jonathan Young? I suggest that it is not. If there were 30 local boards as the Government says could happen each would represent 47000 citizens. Is Mr Nick Smith here tonight? Hopefully he is out campaigning in Mount Albert. So National is legislating for local boards the size of Nelson or New Plymouth with no power at all. What are Government members consulting on? They are consulting on nothing. 
We have asked in this House time and time again over the last 3 weeks for this Government to tell us the costs of the transition. How much will it cost Aucklanders to transition to the Government’s flawed undemocratic model of a super-city? Did we get an answer? We got nothing. Government members could not tell us or they refused. So we have done the numbers and it will cost Aucklanders up to $750 more on their rates bills which is on top of $700 on their water bills. So this Government is stinging Aucklanders for almost $1500 for its flawed super-city model. Aucklanders have had no say on it—there has been no consultation—all on a hope and a promise that money will be saved on the super-city. Well we know that mergers of this size often do not generate those cost savings. 
The people of Auckland want a super-city. They want good world-class public transport. They want clean beaches. They want sustainable communities good jobs and public transport to take them to those jobs. They want a decent waterfront. They want a central business district that works. If a super-city can deliver some of those things—good infrastructure quality of life and democracy—Aucklanders will vote for a super-city. But they do not want to be shafted they do not want to be dorked around and they do not want to be tricked out of their birthright by this National Government and its ACT allies.