Burns Brendon:  
Burns Brendon:  
[Volume:654;Page:73] 
BRENDON BURNS (Labour—Christchurch Central) 
: 
 I am delighted to take a call in the Committee stage of the Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill. I rise to speak in support of amendments to Part 3 particularly the amendment to clause 11 to insert new subclause (1)(a) which states the Minister must consult with stakeholders and interested parties on the appointment of members of the transitional agency. 
This part shows again arrogance coming through from the Government which is sitting under urgency with no recourse to a select committee despite the offer made by the Opposition to the Government. This Government simply thinks it can treat Parliament and the people of Auckland like it can treat the people of Mt Albert: with a bulldozer. It is like the way Melissa Lee treats South Aucklanders: with disdain and disregard. Now we know that Bill English must begin to feel this way after the Prime Minister has asserted who is boss and insisted he will get the $50 million for the cycleway and has even suggested that if Bill does not like it he can go and open a tearoom in Dipton and serve lattes to the cycling tourists—a good option some might say. Some members on the other side of the Committee are beginning to understand what Aucklanders are beginning to understand which is that this Government will do what it likes to achieve its own ends. 
Part 3 would allow the Government to form the new transition agency and then from Monday onwards after this bill is passed—or maybe next Monday week—the consultation will start. We have seen advertisements from National MPs that state that from Monday they will go out and seek consultation with their constituents on this bill. That is too late. National MPs will go to meet their constituents from Franklin in the south to Rodney in the north but nobody within the rohe of the Auckland Council has been asked what he or she actually thinks about this bill. We even have the former Minister of Finance Bill Birch—“Mr Think Big”—apparently coming out against the loss of his former Franklin constituency into Auckland City. This bill represents think big 2009. It was be as disastrous as Think Big was in the 1980s. Sir William Birch is no different from anybody else in Auckland or in this Parliament; he will not have any say on issues such as who should form the transition agency or what its functions should be. Aucklanders will just not get any real say on the functions of the council under this bill. There will be consultation after the fact and after Parliament has seen this bill forced through under urgency. The only chance for members of the public to have their say will be next week and beyond. 
This situation has some hallmarks of and reminds me of an approach taken under a previous Government. Yes it was a Labour Government. The blitzkrieg approach was taken in the mid-1980s of ramming changes through before people realised what was happening because they might not have liked it if they had known. People do not like being “Rogered” in that way in the cause of economic dogmatism. 
Hon Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. The speaker who is on his feet has been going for some 3½ minutes. We are in the Committee stage and he has not begun to get to Part 3. We have heard all about Sir William Birch and Think Big. The member is new but I think he should follow the Standing Orders. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: No I do not need any help. You have a minute and 25 seconds left Mr Burns. How about we just hear a bit about Part 3? 
BRENDON BURNS 
: We want to see under Part 3— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I think it was at least implicit in what you said that the member had not been talking about Part 3. At least 2 minutes of his speech— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: No that is not a point of order. I invite the member to continue on Part 3. 
BRENDON BURNS 
: Under Part 3 of this bill where we see a clause around the membership of the transitional authority as an Opposition we want to see some checks and balances in the appointment of members of that transitional authority. The royal commission proposed that by keeping the existing councils across Manukau Waitakere Franklin the North Shore Auckland Rodney and Papakura there would in fact be some checks and balances against the power of the Auckland Council. I am particularly fearful that by closing off consultation and by not having any scrutiny then the agenda begins to line up against the assets of the Auckland Council. I note suggestions that one Mark Ford of Watercare is reportedly Mr Hide’s pick as the head of the transitional agency to be established under Part 3 of the bill. Mr Hide of course is not known for caring very much about access to good-quality drinking water; he has described the health standards as “ridiculous”. 
I ask the Minister what he will do to ensure that the transitional agency will be doing all it can to ensure that Auckland-owned assets such as Ports of Auckland Auckland International Airport shares and the water agencies are actually kept in public ownership. Even if there are protections in the Local Government Act my suspicion is that this bill—through this Part even if this is not stated here—will begin the process of—