Carter John:  
Carter John:  
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Hon JOHN CARTER (Associate Minister of Local Government) 
: 
 Let us get one thing clear right now in this debate tonight: the reason why the member David Cunliffe is angry is that this Government is doing everything that Labour members want to have done and now they do not have any defence at all. Labour members cannot criticise because we said—and they said—we would have one Auckland and we will. Then they said they want to put “local” back into local government and we are doing that; we said we would put local boards out there so that the local community could have a say in the things that matter to them and we will. That is exactly what those members have been asking for and that is exactly what we are giving. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. It is a convention in Committee and in the House that speeches are addressed to you. The member has had his back to you the entire time he has been speaking. I think he should show more respect for you as Chair. 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: No I do not need any help in this matter. The member can address whomever he wishes. This is a robust debate. We will let the member continue. 
Hon JOHN CARTER 
: The other thing the members over there do not like at all—and this is the main point—is that they have asked why we have not consulted on the bill and we have told them that this bill starts the consultation period. There will be consultation for the next 15 months or more. We will be out there talking with the public. We will be listening to the public. What is even better is that we will actually implement most of the things the public ask of us because we can because we are flexible because that is the sort of Government this National Government—led by John Key—is and because that is what Rodney Hide’s bill will deliver for this country. I say to that shoddy Opposition over there that you do not like it because you are actually getting what you have been asking for— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I have already ruled. You cannot bring the Chair into the debate. 
Hon JOHN CARTER 
: The Opposition members do not like it because they are worried that the things they are asking for they are getting from a Tory Government. Much to their surprise all those things that make Opposition members weep and wail that produce all of that socialist bloody outpouring that we get from them we are addressing. We are giving it to Labour. We are going to stick it up Labour. We are going to get the whole country behind us because—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I think I know what the member is going to say. It is a robust debate—I actually might need earplugs—but interjections should be rare and reasonable. It would be good if we could hear what the speakers are saying. Please tone it down so that we can actually hear what is going on. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I seek leave to request the Associate Minister to make a ministerial statement to explain how it can be that Labour is both jealous of the Government for doing what Labour would have done and frightened of getting a dose of “Torydom”.  
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Sit down. You cannot make that request. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I think the important point that you should make as I indicated to the Speaker a couple of days ago is that when you are addressing people who are making a racket that is stopping a member from being heard it would be good to look at them. The people who were actually stopping the member from being heard were those behind him—in fact in front of him given the direction he was looking in. 
Hon JOHN CARTER 
: Is that not exactly the problem? Opposition members just cannot take it can they? They cannot take the fact that this Government will be out there day after day listening to the people. The Prime Minister has been out there; the Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide has been out there; and I will be out there. We will be listening engaging and making sure that the public of Auckland end up with the local government they want. 
What is more we will end up with a local government system in Auckland that not only is good for Auckland but happens to be good for the rest of New Zealand as well. That is the problem. Those members over there have been mucking around with this issue for 9 years. It got too hard for them so they said “Here’s a pass. We’ll give it to a royal commission. That will get it off our plate for a while.” When there finally is a Government that is prepared to respond and be decisive those members are astounded. They cannot understand a Government that makes a decision and a Minister of Local Government who is actually prepared to get out there and make some decisions. And there is a group of people behind him who will make sure that this happens. They will make sure it happens for their people. That is the issue. That is why that group over there are so astonished about what is happening. Labour members cannot believe that in the 9 years they had in Government they did nothing other than order a royal commission report. We are putting in place local boards which will be far more effective than the councils that the royal commission talked about and those members say they cannot understand it. 
Let us wait and see what happens in another 6 months 9 months and 12 months when we have heard the public of Auckland when we have made the alterations they ask of us and when the second and third bills have been passed. Let us see what is delivered. Let us see what they think when we end up delivering the goods for Auckland. I know that we can deliver. I know that the Prime Minister will deliver. I know that the Hon Rodney Hide will deliver. I know that collectively we will get in there and give Aucklanders exactly what they are looking for which is local government that works for them. They know that right now their local government does not work for them. They know that at the moment local government in Auckland is not performing in the way that they need it to. Even Bob Harvey the Mayor of Waitakere recently apologised to the people of Auckland. Well we will set up a local government system that works for Auckland and works for New Zealand.