Foster-Bell Paul: Local Government Act 2002 (Greater Local Democracy) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFoster-Bell Paul: Local Government Act 2002 (Greater Local Democracy) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 12 August 2015. Volume:707;Page:5758. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]PAUL FOSTER-BELL (National): Tēnā koe e te Mana Whakawā Tuarua. Tēnā koutou katoa e ngā mema o te Whare Pāremata o Aotearoa. It is a pleasure to follow on from that enthusiastic—if nothing else—performance from the member who just resumed his seatSu’a William Sio. Given the somnambulant front bench of the Labour Party perhaps the honourable member should be nominating himself to be the next deputy leader. He would be an improvement at least on energy if nothing else.In speaking on the first reading of this Local Government Act 2002 (Greater Local Democracy) Amendment Bill I would like to begin by saying that the Government will be opposing this bill. I have respect for the member Stuart Nash who is a hard-working member in his own constituency. He had great luck in having this bill being drawn from the ballot and also great luck in beating the excellent candidate Wayne Walford who I am sure will be back for another run in Napier at the next election. But there are several problems and actually several ironies with regard to this bill.We have heard about the different views of democracy. We have heard from the honourable member Scott Simpson the very fine MP for Coromandel and chair of the Local Government and Environment Committee that there are different views on democracy and what constitutes good and fair democratic process. There is an irony in this bill being from a member of the Labour Party which has a leadership election process that gives particular weightings to different groups that gives special preference to the unions and that gives the members of the caucus a disproportionate say over other members. There is an irony that a member would bring a measure along these lines to this House when in fact members do not practise what they preach in his own party. So there is an irony in that and I do not think it adds anything to New Zealand’s democracy.We have a democracy in place. The people of Wellington and the people of Northland spoke they were listened to by this Government and in the end the plans which did not prove to be popular with the public of Wellington were dropped.Secondly I would like to respond to a point made by the member Su’a William Sio who said how hated National MPs are and how hated this Government is by the mayors of New Zealand. Well I can tell you that I have a very warm relationship with our local mayor here in Wellington Celia Wade-Brown. I speak to her on a regular basis. We do not agree on much but I can tell you that we have a respectful and decent relationship. I know that my colleague Chris Bishop has a very warm relationship with his mayor Ray Wallace in the Hutt and also with Wayne Guppy. [Interruption]Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Can members take a breath and allow the member with the call to speak.PAUL FOSTER-BELL: We have fine mayors and we have very good councillors serving us in this city and throughout this country—Chris Bishop: Don’t forget about Wayne Guppy.PAUL FOSTER-BELL: —and Wayne Guppy from Upper Hutt is a very very fine mayor. So I think that is a scurrilous accusation that the member was casting.I would like to turn to the Local Government Commission. We have recently appointed a new chief commissioner of the Local Government Commission Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Harawira Gardiner a very fine New Zealander a man with a proud military career a public servant of this country in the civil service and the notable biographer of our late lamented former colleague Parekura Horomia. He is a person of fine standing and good repute in this country who will do an excellent job. He is a fair-minded man.We will ensure that our cities do have the right structure going forward because unlike some members opposite we do not think that we should be ossified in the distant past. Our country is changing. Our cities are expanding. We have heard recently from the Minister for Building and Housing about how many consents are being granted to create new housing in this country. Our cities are changing the world is changing and technology is leading to a greater need to align our services.Here in Wellington for instance we have seen the councils working together effectively and I applaud them for actually reaching an agreed position on the increased internationalisation of our airport. Although that is situated in Wellington City itself and is owned by a private company and the Wellington City Council and therefore the ratepayers it is an asset for the whole region. It feeds into not just the other Wellington local bodies including the Hutt and up to Porirua and even Kāpiti but even the top of the South Island benefits from having a more internationalised airport here in Wellington.This is a party on this side of the House that trusts the intelligence and discernment of the citizens of this country. We believe in letting them make the call. Ultimately there will be a vote in the Hawke’s Bay on whether one council will be formed. That is democracy Mr Nash of the sort that New Zealanders respect and practise. It is not democracy of the sort that has led the Labour Party into its current trench of unpopularity. I will not be supporting this bill further.