Chadwick Steve: Local Government Law Reform Bill — First Reading 
Chadwick Steve: Local Government Law Reform Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:630;Page:2515] 
STEVE CHADWICK (Labour—Rotorua) 
: 
 It is rather sad to hear the usual carping rhetoric of the Opposition from a member who like many Labour members on the Local Government and Environment Committee has probably not been a district councillor. I recall that when I was a district councillor we had one visit from the then National Government. The mayor poured a cup of tea and we were told about the better roads better future policy—and the less said about that the better because that is partly the reason why Auckland is in need of assistance from our Government today. 
The Local Government Law Reform Bill is a very important bill. It amends nine Acts which are all related to the workings of local government. This Government has worked on developing a collaborative arrangement with local authorities and regional councils since we came into Government in 1999. One thing local authorities are applauding us for is our regional and local forums for mayors to come and meet with key Ministers of the Crown discuss their issues and call for reform to the local government legislation such as the changes reflected in this bill. We can get on with the business when we have heard from our consultation with them where the legislation needs to be better strengthened for them. That relationship will continue and it is one of the cornerstones of our values as a Labour Government. 
One of the aspects of the bill that I think is terribly exciting concerns yet another of our pledges from last year’s election: the pledge about rates rebates. We said we would deliver on that by July 2006 and as the chair of the Local Government and Environment Committee I am sure that we will get the measure through. Many people will be very pleased about the rates relief. Anyone who asks Grey Power members will find they will be thrilled to see their rebate rise from $200 to $500 and the top threshold for those entitled to apply for a rates rebate increase from earnings of $7400 a year to $20000 a year. That affects many senior citizens on a fixed income and they are thrilled about that. We are out there yet again delivering to the senior citizens of our country. 
I want to mention the uneasy partnership between National and local government. Dr Brash has already signalled that he does not support keeping to the intentions of local authorities as he has said about the Maori seats on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Poor Dr Jonathan Coleman will be squirming when he goes home to his father-in-law the wonderful John Keaney who was the chair of that regional council because he will have to do a bit of explaining to his father-in-law about those racially-based seats. Their inception was his father-in-law’s idea. John Keaney came to the Government and asked Mita Ririnui to lead the very bill that has got us having good representation on our regional council. Poor old Jonathan! I wonder what goes on in the Keaney household. 
This bill is about our Government listening to local authorities and reasoning on whether to enact their wishes for law reform. There are lots of things that the bill will fix. It does not just contain a measure regarding dog microchipping; it also gives local authorities powers to neuter menacing dogs dispose of diseased dogs and provide for epilepsy assist dogs—very important aspects that we have considered after consultation with local government and are now fixing through this bill. 
In conclusion I say that there are some very good members on the select committee that will consider the bill. They have considerable experience on local authorities and will bring that to the table in a reasoned way. I am very confident that we will get this bill through so that the beneficiaries of the rates rebate will enjoy the fruits of that relief by July 2006.