Hawkins George: Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee 
Hawkins George: Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee 
[Volume:661;Page:9945] 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: There is a member who does not think they are an arrogant lot. She says: “Nah.” I do not know anyone who says “Nah.” when it comes to democracy. 
Rodney Hide came into the House this afternoon and for the first time that I can remember he did not get up and speak from the heart. What did he do? He read a speech prepared for him by officials in local government in the Department of Internal Affairs. He read it and of course when he does that we know there is trouble around. Here we have good old Alec Neill getting the sack. Alec Neill is used to getting the sack. He was elected to this Parliament three times—almost a record—and he is getting the kick again. Alec Neill helped to run induction courses for new MPs which he says was good for his rehabilitation from politics. But the National Government finds that rehabilitation for Alec Neill and Environment Canterbury is to shut them up boot them out and have no election until 2013. National cannot tell the people of Canterbury that that is a good thing. 
As an Aucklander I can say there is not always a lot of love lost between Canterbury and Auckland but we all know that what we are seeing this Government push through is a process that it should be ashamed of. It is a process that no decent New Zealander likes to see. Having one’s vote every 3 years is really important. We had the royal commission tell us about what it saw the future local government structure being for Auckland and the Government took no notice of it. It knew better than Aucklanders did and here under urgency it pushed through that legislation. 
The legislation that is to be passed by National over the next day or two enables the commissioners who are taking over Environment Canterbury to modify water conservation orders and to apply protections —probably weaker. 
Simon Bridges 
: Take us through it George. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: That member is saying “Take us through it”. I imagine the National members did not even know about this bill in their caucus meeting. Dr Nick Smith at 11 o’clock this morning arranged to brief people and we appreciate that. But did he tell the member for Tauranga about this bill on Tuesday? Probably not. The member for Tauranga has a mighty mouth with a great big north and south but when it comes to knowing about the bill he does not. He is a slick smooth lawyer who does not worry about the rule of law. He does not worry about the rule of law— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Get it to the select committee and find out. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes this bill should be going to a select committee. 
What is the Government afraid of? Is it afraid that Nick Smith may be told a few home truths by his mate Alec Neill? They came into Parliament in the intake of 1990 and somehow Nick Smith remains. But of course poor old Alec Neill was elected from 27 October 1990 to 6 September 1996—that was his first time. He must be thinking that he supported National but now it is taking away what he stood for: democracy. National is taking democracy away; it is not giving people a chance. The Minister of Internal Affairs is shaking his head in agreement and he knows whom people blame when they lose their right to vote. The people in Auckland have turned against ACT and Rodney Hide and they will turn against John Key. With this bill Dr Nick Smith and Rodney Hide will go further away from their support base. They will lose it. You see we have a situation where Parliament stands for democracy; we are all here because people voted for us. Even party list members are voted into this Parliament. But this Government wants to take that right away from the people of Canterbury when it comes to their regional council. 
I ask people who are listening to their transistor radios tonight to think about why people are having their rights taken away. This Government said it stood for people’s rights— 
Simon Bridges 
: Some of them will even be watching this on TV George. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: They will. I should smile more like the assassin over there who does not care about democracy. That member is more worried about animals. Animals are more important to that member than people and I think that member needs to look at that very carefully. 
We heard members of the Maori Party say this afternoon that they are going to vote for the bill at the first reading. What is going to happen? Are they going to change their mind about it at the select committee? No. Why not? Because there is to be no consideration of the bill by a select committee. So what will the Maori Party members do? Will they vote with the Government for the bill through all its stages or will they stand up for the rights of individuals and for the Maori people they came here to represent? We have had a Green Party member make a very impassioned speech today. I sat here next to Brendon Burns when he spoke and I was really very proud of the leadership role that he has been given in this area. I think that is very very important. He is a person who is prepared to stand up for people from Canterbury. In Auckland we do not see many people standing up to support Canterbury but here it is extremely important. 
Of course people like Amy Adams and Colin King turned their backs on Canterbury. Neither of them could speak for 10 minutes to tell people why this bill is good. The reason why they could not do that is that it is a rubbish bill. It is completely anti-democratic. When Government members do not use their 10 minutes to speak in support of a bill we know that the Government is trying to sneak the bill through. We know that it is not very good. When a person like Amy Adams speaks for 3 minutes about why she wants to take away the vote of people in Canterbury until—[ 
Interruption 
]—yes 2013 I have to say that is just not good enough. It is a disgrace.