Cunliffe David: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — Second Reading Procedure In Committee 
Cunliffe David: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — Second Reading Procedure In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6380] 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour—New Lynn) 
: 
 This is my first opportunity to take part in this debate and I appreciate the opportunity. Let us dispose of some straw-men arguments that were raised by the member who has just resumed his seat. I do not blame him for having a go because we all know he is feeling pretty conflicted at the moment in terms of his loyalty to his party and his loyalty to his people. That party has—what is the technical phrase—“crapped” all over Maoridom with this decision. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: That is not acceptable. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: It has not honoured Maoridom with its decisions on the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill. 
We agree that we need to take Auckland forward and we also agree that we need stronger regional integration and that Auckland needed changes. No one is arguing about that. That is why we set up the royal commission in the first place. Let us try a little game of join the dots. It does not irk Aucklanders that the Government did not consult them; it irks them that the Government pretended to consult and then did not. This process has been marked by the hallmark of this Government which is sham consultation. 
Can anyone tell me who it was who said: “I want to reiterate that the Government approaches this process with an open mind. We are listening to Aucklanders.”? Who could that have been? Was it the same person who chaired the Cabinet committee that dumped the royal commission report virtually within days of it hitting the table and then put a 20-page micro-document called “Making Auckland Bluer” out in its place? That was no consultation. The Government did not come back to Aucklanders. It did not ask people what they thought of the royal commission’s $2 million 18-month effort. The Government did not consult on it; it just made a decision. Then it threw the House into urgency. Join the dots. 
The next step under urgency was to repeal the existing territorial authorities. That was the equivalent of—I ask members to remember—the Battle of Hastings when William the Conqueror crossed the British Channel. He drilled holes in the boats so there was no turning back. Well that was what this Government’s action was about. It was about making sure there was no turning back. There was no consultation and no select committee process. There was a truncated debate in the House and that was it. Game over! 
My city Waitakere City was 20 years in the making—the eco-city. It is a proud place turning West Auckland from “Boganville” with no “u” to a place where we care about the arts smart business and communities. Westies were proud of Waitakere. I see the former Deputy Mayor of Manukau City here and I know how deeply he felt about the extinguishment of the city that he had worked to build without so much as a consultation. What about the referendum provision in the Local Government Act? Not conducting a referendum was the largest constitutional change in local government in New Zealand’s history. That Government—with its sham consultation—set aside the binding referendum provisions of the Local Government Act which meant Aucklanders did not get a say like the law said they should. The Government repealed the law in the same bill that it rammed through Parliament in urgency. Join the dots. 
That action is the hallmark of the new National Government that middle-of-the-road Government with the friendly face. Do we know the one? It was going to do everything Labour did that people liked but with a new friendly team. Yeah right! This is Muldoonism back with a smile. Join the dots. This was not just a lack of consultation; this was the veneer the charade of consultation. That was the first bill. Then the Government would set up a rushed 3-week select committee process. Aucklanders in their hundreds submitted. It was in their thousands actually but hundreds nearly a thousand took the time to travel to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee to make their submissions in person. They got 5 minutes—sometimes 10 minutes—and then they were shuffled on and shut down. After they had done it the frustration showed from people who bothered to make submissions. They said it was sometimes worse than not being there at all. I give credit to members on both sides of the House who endured the process because it was pretty gruelling. It was not that there was no consultation; it was that it was a sham consultation. Meanwhile in the background in the Cabinet room was the same Cabinet committee that had received the papers on the first bill and made its decision within days of the royal commission reporting. The same Cabinet committee was making the big calls even before the select committee had reported back. 
There was also the special subcommittee on Maori representation. Mr Key knew well enough that if 10000 people were marching in a hikoi in central Auckland—and here we and the Maori Party are at one—he had to listen. But instead of real consultation—join the dots—he set up sham consultation. He set up a special subcommittee and the previous speaker served on it. It went around asking people what they thought which was a good thing except the decision was made by the Prime Minister before they had even had the chance to see the report. What could be more hypocritical than going out asking people what they think and then making the decision before the result had even been heard? Ten thousand people marched in the hikoi from all over Auckland. So the Government set up a special subcommittee and made the decision before it had even reported. That is no consultation; that is worse—join the dots—that is sham consultation. It is what this Government is getting known for—Muldoonism with a smile. Sham consultation! Shame on the Government! 
Dr Ashraf Choudhary 
: Shame sham! 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Shame sham! It is the same sham the shame sham. Members should say that quickly a hundred times and see how they get on. 
With regard to Maori representation nothing was set in stone the Government said. Oh was it not? Why then was the Minister in the chair Rodney Hide—who I hope will take the next call to defend his reputation—so brave as to roar in public that he would resign if the principles for which the ACT Party stood were not listened to in the Cabinet room? Why did he say that? I bet Mr Hide a good bottle of wine that he already knew the way it would come out. I challenge the Minister to take a call and tell us otherwise if it is otherwise. But no I do not think he wants to even though he has the time. 
Lynne Pillay 
: He’s looking ashamed. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: He is looking “a shamed” and ashamed. It is the same sham the same shame sham again. Members can say that quickly 50 times and join the dots. 
What about the Government’s U-turn on boundaries? As if it did not have a bad enough reputation from all this shaming it decided to drop half of Rodney District and half of Franklin District. It is pretty hard to lose half of Rodney District—it is quite a big area. It is pretty hard to lose half of Pukekohe—it is like drawing a line down the main street. Then the Government reversed its position on Rodney District so no wonder Franklin District feels aggrieved right? No wonder Franklin is feeling pretty annoyed and that leaves the honourable member for Port Waikato—or whatever it is now called—Dr Paul Hutchison roaring helplessly bleating in the back paddock and watching his political career washing out to sea from Port Waikato. It is washing down the Waikato; that is where it leaves him. He is up the famous creek without the proverbial paddle. 
This bill is not a case of no consultation; this is sham consultation. Join the dots—this is Muldoonism with a smile. This is what the Government is now known for. Aucklanders will not forget it and they will remind the Government in 2011 that 3 years was too long.