Fenton Darien: Rodney District Council Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Fenton Darien: Rodney District Council Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 21 July 2010. Volume:665;Page:12555. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
: 
 I cannot say I am surprised at the response from National and the ACT Party and their decision to vote against the Rodney District Council Bill. I do not think the people of Rodney will be particularly surprised because it is just another event in a very long pattern of their being let down by their parliamentary representatives being ignored and being put through a ridiculous and undemocratic process. I am sure that members opposite will be hearing from them directly and I am also sure it will be noted that there has been no contribution from those members in this debate. I thank the Greens and the Maori Party. I know that Dave Clendon has been as he said around the district and certainly I have too with colleagues Phil Twyford and Rajen Prasad. For the information of the ACT Party member David Garrett I live in Taupaki which is in Rodney District and nobody has asked my opinion on that side of Rodney. 
This is a sad day as my colleague said. We are seeing a pattern emerging where this Government is willing to ride roughshod over local views and local opinion. I find it ironic. I like the comparison with the back-down on mining drawn by my colleague Rajen Prasad. Apparently that occurred because the people have had their say. The people of Rodney have tried to have their say through a proper process and let me just remind the House what that process entails. A local bill is not something that I just draw up and bring to this House. A local bill has to go through a very complicated legal process. Consultation with the local people is required. They are allowed to have their say. There must be notifications and the Clerk has to be absolutely convinced that that process has been followed. 
Even though I felt privileged to take up this local bill and put my hand up I believe that the members from the local area have some explaining to do. I would have thought that if the Government was so confident about its process and about what has come out of a year’s work on the super-city it would welcome a debate. It would have welcomed the chance for the Rodney people to come and have a say through the only democratic means left to them which was a local bill. I think they deserve better from this Government. The people of Auckland certainly deserve better. As I said it just follows a trend we are seeing from this Government—a Government that ignores local views: for example the decision to fire the board of Environment Canterbury without any local consultation. 
The Government has been intimidated I think by the very malevolent presence of the Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide. So tainted has that name Rodney become that I would not be surprised if there was an application to the Geographic Board to change the name— 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: Change his name. 
DARIEN FENTON 
: The Geographic Board cannot change his name but it could change the name of Rodney and I would not be surprised if we saw that at some stage. I doubt that this will be the last— 
Sue Moroney 
: It could be called Darien. 
DARIEN FENTON 
: They could call it Darien. That is right: the Darien District. That sounds pretty good to me. 
I doubt this will be the last time we hear from Rodney on this issue or from north Rodney. They have vowed to keep fighting. They will do that through the ballot box next year. Members opposite should not be too confident about picking up those National Party votes next time. Members would be surprised how many people are now saying all over the place—not just on this issue but on a whole lot of other things such as cuts to early childhood education and so on—that this Government has to go. 
In closing I acknowledge all of those who were involved in bringing this local bill together. I acknowledge the Northern Action Group and the Wellsford Community Group. Those people went from farm to farm from door to door collecting 6000 signatures to bring the issue to Parliament and present it to the Minister because they were promised they would be listened to. They have been let down once again. I also recognise all the other groups in the community that have tried to contribute to the democratic process surrounding what is a massive change. They have been let down. Promises were made and the people have been let down. I think this whole process has been hijacked by this Government. This is a very very disappointing day for Rodney.