Fenton Darien: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
Fenton Darien: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:663;Page:11567] 
DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
: 
 Talofa lava. It is my privilege to put forward an amendment in my name to the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill to ensure north Rodney is left out of the super-city by referring the northern boundary to the Local Government Commission with specific instruction to exclude north Rodney. I do so in the interest of democracy and I note with some irony that Government members only talk about democracy if they agree with the proposition. I heard Pansy Wong and the Hon Maurice Williamson talking about Howick earlier. When it comes to north Rodney to those members democracy counts for nothing—nothing. Unfortunately the Government has ignored the concerns of the people of Rodney. They have not had a fair say on this but they have done everything they can to get the Government’s attention on this issue. 
This Friday there will be a slow-moving convoy protest of vehicles on State Highway 1 in the Rodney district. It will travel 18 kilometres from the Northern Gateway Toll Road tunnels to Kowhai Park Scenic Reserve in Warkworth and the people of north Rodney—former solid National supporters who have supported John Key and his undemocratic uncaring Government—will be protesting. It brings to mind previous protests. We had Myrtle on the steps of Parliament protesting the previous Government and here we have members protesting against this Government. It is really interesting that there is a call growing throughout the country for a party to be established in opposition to National that will be called the “Country Party”. I have met with farmers and other community members from Rodney. They are good people and I understand why they are upset. They have a right to be upset because the decision making around Rodney has been a real mess. They have been in the super-city then out of the super-city then in again. The people of Rodney are really confused. I have the utmost respect for the efforts that that community has made to be heard by this Government. 
When the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee reported back on the second Auckland bill last September it made a recommendation that north Rodney be divided from the super-city. The majority—National and ACT—in that report recommended amending clause 18 to direct the commission to determine that the northern boundary of Auckland City should be generally based on a line between the mouths of the Puhoi River and the mouth of the Makarau River dividing the current Rodney district in two. The select committee report went on to state that the majority of the committee believed that the rural northern area of Rodney should then become part of the Kaipara district. So the people of north Rodney thought “Thank goodness!” and there was a big sigh of relief; they were out of the super-city. Then John Key our Prime Minister did a massive U-turn— 
Lynne Pillay 
: Not ours; theirs. 
DARIEN FENTON 
: —well their Prime Minister—and decided overnight that Rodney would be part of the super-city. John Key and the Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide claimed that the change reflected the views of the majority of the Rodney district that Rodney should not be split. Somehow they got the message wrong. I think the phone was off the hook. That change came through as amendments to the legislation. It was debated under urgency last September and the people of north Rodney had no chance to have their say about John Key’s John Carter’s and Rodney Hide’s change of heart. 
The whole saga of Auckland governance has been a confused jumble and an unbelievably undemocratic process. It has impacted on the people of north Rodney. It has resulted in widespread anger and action in north Rodney. Groups have been set up and there have been petitions. The people of Rodney did not sit back and cry; they organised a petition and got 6286 signatures. That petition came to Parliament and it was ignored but I say good on them. They are good people. They are people of the land. They are people of rural and coastal communities. They are sincere in their views and they mistakenly believed that this Government would listen to them.