Pillay Lynne: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
Pillay Lynne: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:663;Page:11575] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour) 
: 
 It gives me great pleasure to follow my friend and colleague Carmel Sepuloni who was speaking about the challenges posed to the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area and the Waitakere Ranges themselves by this bill. I take this opportunity to commend the people of Waitakere—[ 
Interruption 
] Never mind pointing at me I say to Mr Quinn. The member should listen to this because yet again the people of Waitakere have stood up to National and said that this change is not right for Waitakere. When it came to the Waitakere Ranges what happened? Oh yes big mistake—suddenly there have been some changes yet again to the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act diminishing protection for the Waitakere Ranges. 
Carmel Sepuloni has taken great interest in this issue as the prospective member for Waitakere—and she will be the member for Waitakere. The people of Waitakere got together and worked within every community to protect the Waitakere Ranges. They were vehemently opposed by National when it was in Opposition. [ 
Interruption 
] Why would that be? I think it was because National saw that there was a bit of support from some pretty powerful people. It was the corporate model versus the community—but guess what? The community won through in terms of protection for the Waitakere Ranges and that is what is happening again. 
Carmel Sepuloni 
: That’s right Lynne. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: Thank you very much. 
What has happened again? National has tried to undermine that protection just as it did when it was in Opposition. It is reprehensible. We heard members opposite saying that the Waitakere Ranges should be a national park. Well we all know what the National Government has in mind for national parks in New Zealand do we not? We all know about that. But it lost that battle and that is why I want to commend the people of Waitakere who worked through every community organisation and brought to Parliament a petition that went to the select committee and gave added protection to the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area. That does not happen without organisation at the local level and I have to say—because I made notes when I heard the previous speaker—that that is exactly what this bill seeks to undermine. But I am not going to criticise Rodney Hide. 
Carmel Sepuloni 
: Why not? 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: Because he is insignificant in this matter. He is the fall guy for National. This is not ACT policy. He is the Minister in charge of this bill but it is National policy. He is “Mr 1.5 Percent” or whatever ACT is languishing on in the polls at the moment. I think the ACT Party is almost into minus figures. So there is no point wasting time on Rodney Hide good dancer though he is. 
This bill is about the National Government and its policy. Aucklanders need to be warned that National’s policy when it comes to Auckland is about corporates not communities. Members on this side of the Chamber say quite the opposite. We say it is about communities not corporates. This bill will go through—I am pre-empting it—unless people think. We have heard some pretty compelling speeches. I can see Sam over there looking really embarrassed. There is always that ray of hope that members will change their minds at the last minute. There is always the hope that Nikki Kaye will show some absolute integrity and do what the people of Auckland City have asked her to do. But she will not do it. 
I congratulate Jacinda Ardern. She has gone out into the communities of Auckland and she has represented Aucklanders’ views in this House as have Carol Beaumont from Maungakiekie and my friend Darien Fenton. Where is the Prime Minister?