Sepuloni Carmel: Policing (Involvement in Local Authority Elections) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Sepuloni Carmel: Policing (Involvement in Local Authority Elections) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 22 June 2010. Volume:664;Page:12054. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour) 
: 
 I stand to support the Policing (Involvement in Local Authority Elections) Amendment Bill. I want to talk about some of the aspects of the bill that Labour members are supportive of and to provide a little bit of history with regard to why restrictions on our police officers being able to stand for council were enforced in the first place. It was not an easy decision at the time. 
As most of the Committee should know a New Zealand First MP Ron Mark was a vocal campaigner for these restrictions to be introduced. Initially the Labour Government was not supportive but at the Committee stage of the Policing Act the Labour Government put forward a Supplementary Order Paper to ensure that in the future police officers would not be able to also be councillors. However those already fulfilling the dual roles could continue to do so. We have heard a lot of discussion about the five police officers who have continued in their roles as councillors and we have heard that they do so without any problems at all. There was concern—and this is why the restrictions were brought in to begin with—that there would be a conflict of interest for those police officers with regard to their having to enforce by-laws but the five particular councillors who are also police officers have been very careful to declare any conflict of interest that arises over their time as councillors. That serves as a good example that it can work that the police can fulfil those two roles without any problems occurring. 
One councillor I know of who has done it very well is Alf Filipaina a Manukau City councillor and police officer. He is respected by the community he has huge integrity and he has done a fantastic job. Even prior to the restrictions being brought in in 2008 he was very careful to make sure he declared any conflict of interest when it came to enforcing by-laws. He has a good track record. Since the passing of that legislation there has not been any problem with the five councillors and that is a big part of why Labour members are supporting this bill. We have seen that the police are able to conduct themselves in a professional manner with regard to fulfilling the two roles. That is part of the reason that we are supportive of this bill. 
Ideally in our minds it would have been better if the bill were not being rammed through in urgency. It would have been good to get the views of the public of the police and of anyone who had concerns or was particularly happy about the bill being passed. Unfortunately we will not have the opportunity to do that because the bill is going through the House in urgency. 
Labour is supporting the bill. It takes off those restrictions and allows the police to hold both positions. Regardless of the fact that they are police officers they will be able to stand as councillors. It seems only fair given the examples I discussed before and given that other public servants are provided with the opportunity to run for council despite their role as public servants. 
I want to take the time to acknowledge the police force and the outstanding work they do. I think all of us across the Chamber share that view. Without these restrictions they will be able not only to fulfil their role as police officers well but also to perform an outstanding role as councillors. That is why we are supportive of the bill. There are some significant barriers that the Government will need to overcome in order to make it work without a perception of conflict of interest and that will be one of the challenges the Government needs to face. For example a councillor helping to pass a by-law then policing that by-law in his or her role as a police officer could raise a conflict of interest. 
I will end my call there but only because I have a cold. Thank you.