Luxon Christopher; Mallard TrevorCHRISTOPHER LUXON (National—Botany): Look I want to talk today about the Government's three waters reforms because while we as the National Party are very much aligned with the Government around water management in this country—we started off the three waters review back in 2017—we fundamentally agree that there is a case for change and that we need to do something more than the status quo. We believe fundamentally that our infrastructure investment is suffering and that we've got ageing infrastructure. We know we've got to upgrade it. We've got to seriously do something about it. We've got challenges with safety standards. We've seen that with Havelock North we've seen it with lead in Otago we've seen boil notices across small towns all across this country and we understand that there's a need for us to do something about that. We know that there is risk to our environment. We've got burst pipes in Wellington we've got leakage in Auckland we've got overflowing sewage on the beaches in Auckland. We've got a lot of things to do. So we want to make it relatively clear that we are here to be aligned with the Government on the problem that exists around water management. But I have to say that's where it now stops because that alignment is lovely at the beginning and it's wonderful that we can agree on the problem that's here in this country but we fundamentally believe that this is a Government that doesn't execute well. It talks a good game but it doesn't actually get the job done. It loves to talk about what it's going to do but it never gets it done. It talks about $1.9 billion in mental health and yet we have a 41 percent blowout in wait times to get access to those services. It talks about spending the most that's ever been spent in the history of this country per pupil per student secondary or primary and yet we can't get the kids to school and we've got the worst maths reading and science scores that we've had for some time. It has a unique ability this Government to spend more but to actually get less for it. So we're looking forward to Budget day tomorrow because I think we're going to see a lot more of the same as we go forward.The challenge when you start to think about the three waters reform is that it's all going to come down to implementation and execution because it's complex and it's hard and it's broad and there's a lot for us to do. Essentially what's happening: you're taking 67 councils that provide those three waters services today and looking to amalgamate and push them into four big multi-regional entities or water entities. There's quite a few issues in the execution. We could start on lots of things but I want to talk about one thing in particular. I could talk about financing. I could talk about whether it's voluntary or mandatory. But what I really want to talk about is the fact around governance structures and that's the issue I'm going to spend the most time on today because we are now talking about proposals across the country that are creating really complex governance structures. There's one person that we really need to listen to very very closely and that is Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff. You've got to understand this is a Labour Mayor of Auckland. He is the great man from this House that was here for 22 years. He was the leader of the Labour Party for three years. He was a very experienced Minister. He's very good friends with many of the people in this House. I often wonder whether Minister Wood is his son—that's the sort of thing I wonder about. But he is very very close to this party and he's a great man of Government. He's one of the great leaders of the Labour Party and he's incredibly close and he's deeply embedded with this Government so we should listen to him incredibly closely because I think Phil Goff gets it. I really think he understands this one. I think he gets it really well. He wrote to Minister Mahuta and he wrote to his good friends the Prime Minister and Minister Robertson and Minister Wood just six days ago and this is what he said. It starts up nicely enough—I mean he really opens the letter really nicely. He says Tēnā koe Nanaia. Thank you for your letter received 5 May about the proposed three waters service delivery reform."—nice enough. Good start. You sit there and go "Thank you Phil. We're off and running." Then he puts the car into first gear and he starts sort of cutting to the chase of what his actual issues are and what he wants to talk about. So here we go: "I am seeking your explanation of how DIA's proposed amalgamation will address any shortcomings in Watercare's management or governance. I do not understand why Watercare needs to be amalgamated and removed from Council's governance to achieve management efficiencies". He goes on to say "I am not convinced that the proposed governance arrangements will achieve the efficiencies modelled nor am I convinced that the change to remove the proposed water supply authority from democratic governance and oversight will be positive."—I mean ouch! I mean that's quite something isn't it? You've opened nicely you're then sort of getting into the first point—pretty clear. He starts to crank it up. He starts to really get into top gear when he starts to talk quite damningly about the governance complexity being created. He says "The Governor's Representative Group will comprise representatives ranging from four to six local authorities and up to 50 iwi. Gaining consensus among all [those] parties is likely to be a time consuming and expensive undertaking." Hon Louise Upston: And he would know. CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Now he would know—right?—because he was a very effective Minister. He was a great leader of the Labour Party he's been an outstanding Mayor of Auckland and I think we need to listen to Mayor Phil Goff. Minister Wood he's a wise man; I know you take his tutelage all the time. It's fantastic. But I think he points out an issue that we've got to do something about. So I just want to encourage all those members as we go into Budget day tomorrow listen to Mayor Phil—SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member's time has expired."