Korako Nuk: Christchurch City Council (Rates Validation) Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKorako Nuk: Christchurch City Council (Rates Validation) Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 01 April 2015. Volume:704;Page:2859. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]NUK KORAKO (National): Kia ora e te Mana Whakawā huri noa e te Whare e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. “Reluctance” is a word that we have heard all evening in this debate. What my whakaaro or my thing about this is is that I am not reluctant actually. I just think—and without regurgitating a lot of the kōrero or the discussion tonight—the fact is that it is what it is. We have really confirmed the fact that there was no malice intended and that there was a genuine mistake that was made. The important part of it is that it was a technical issue. And the second part of it is that there were no moneys that were actually overcharged or whatever.In the Chamber tonight there were at one time three mayorshere: one a former mayor—well all former mayors actually. One of the things that we have concerned ourselves with all evening in this debate is: given that we have found this mistake are there any others out there that we do not know about? When this happened there was a huge flurry across New Zealand particularly in the local councils because everyone was then checking their systems just to ensure that this particular anomaly—this particular issue that they found with the Christchurch City Council—was not happening on their patch. So I think that is an important consideration or concern that actually we should possibly put away after this debate or be comfortable with it.As a member of the Local Government and Environment Committee it was an interesting situation when the councillors came to submit—and it was the only submission on this particular bill. When the councillors from the Christchurch City Council did come before the committee there was a real interest from all of us because it seemed that they showed very very little empathy. In some ways it was in a fairly perfunctory manner that they actually submitted to our process around this bill. But when you take into account that it took place over a 10-year period and quite a number of years before the present council—particularly given what has gone on in Christchurch as we know since the September earthquakes and then the February earthquake and the immense workload that has actually been on the Christchurch City councillors.As someone who comes from Christchurch as someone who is a ratepayer as someone who has experienced the incredible challenges through those earthquake periods I see the city council working in unison with the Crown. But then in a lot of parts of it you are damned if you do and you are damned if you do not. So this added situation which happened long before their time is something that I think was reflected in the way that they actually presented that day. I have a lot of empathy for them because they realised that and they accepted the fact that the mistake had been made. I actually concur with the right honourable Ruth Dyson this eveningon the fact that—Hon Member: Not quite “right”.NUK KORAKO: Oh well the honourable sorry—the Hon Ruth Dyson. I concur with what she was saying: that if we look at all of this if we accept it—which I believe we should and move on—and if we then acknowledge the work that we have done on this bill and if we acknowledge the fact that the Hon Nicky Wagner presented this as a local bill and if we acknowledge the work that has been done by the Local Government and Environment Committee we will actually get to the point where we have actually shored all of this up and we will have legislation that will actually be good legislation because good legislation only comes about when we have collective agreement. We have a sort of collective working so that we bring in good legislation to be able to deal with this situation so that it does not happen again.On that note I do again want to say that it is what it is. We have accepted that. Let us move on let us deal with this and let us continue on with other important things that we have to deal with. On that note I commend this bill to the House. Kia ora.Bill read a second time.