Prasad Rajen: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
Prasad Rajen: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:663;Page:11543] 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour) 
: 
 Talofa lava Mr Chairperson and talofa lava to the Committee. Thank you for giving me this opportunity ahead of a few others in the queue. I want to talk a little about something that is very dear to my heart. It is something that as members of the ethnic community we live with every day in Auckland. One of the things that has become very well established in many courts and in many places around the world is that a governance system that is designed to administer to people must reflect the very people it is designed to administer to. That governance system must have in a very public kind of way participation and representation from the communities it is supposed to serve. Over the past 25 years the city of Auckland has diversified and a whole new generation has grown up. That has been progressively to the advantage of Auckland. I know that the Minister in the chair the Hon Rodney Hide appreciates that diversity and I will shortly ask for his support for a slight change to reflect it. We live in such a way now that our communities have become the world and we can access a whole series of things that emerge from our diversity. It is no accident that Auckland is currently the fourth most desirable city in the world to live in. That did not happen by accident. A whole series of people have contributed to that and the ethnic community is a critical part of it. 
Simon Bridges 
: Banksie! 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: That group along with my Pacific brothers and sisters tangata whenua and Pakeha has added to making Auckland such an exciting place. It is an exciting place and the member for Tauranga Simon Bridges is invited to come and sample some of that excitement which is lacking in Tauranga where he comes from. In Auckland—north east west or south—we have begun to enjoy that particular diversity. Every weekend every day every evening and every lunchtime one can sample that culture ethnicity diversity and vibrancy in our community. What is more our children are beginning to participate in that as New Zealanders. They were born here and grew up here and our grandchildren are growing up here. The demographic profile of Auckland has changed for ever. I think that in developing a super-city that imprint must be there in a permanent kind of way. At the moment there are seven or eight members of Parliament from different ethnic communities. I hope that we add something to this Parliament. We are from across the various parties and most of us are from Auckland if not all of us. We probably are the strongest advocates for that aspect of Auckland and the new super-city. 
I say to the Minister in the chair Mr Rodney Hide that something is still missing from the provisions that have been made in this legislation. The provisions in the legislation about Pacific and ethnic advisory boards have a missing link and I will talk about that. If those provisions are left as they are I suspect they will treat the importance of that community in Auckland somewhat lightly. They are only advisory panels. I accept that for now but in time that may change and I hope there will be members of boards and the super-city also who will represent the ethnic community. But at least the ethnic panels and the Pacific panels are one place we can go to to guarantee the participation of that community. The appointment of the members of those panels must have the confidence of the communities they represent. The Minister needs to ensure that those communities participate in the appointment of those people. That would be taking the matter seriously. 
Perhaps more seriously I say to the Minister that I do not understand—I hope he can change this and I know that he can at the stroke of a pen—why the ethnic panels are designed to expire in 2013. The ethnic communities in Auckland are there for the long term and their interests ought to be represented for the long term. I am putting forward an amendment about that.