Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:663;Page:11573] 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie) 
: 
 Talofa lava. Malo le soifua ae maise oe le ta‘ta‘i o le tatou fono. I rise to support the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill. I want to personally thank all those who have contributed to the bill. There have been 768 written submissions and over 348 oral submissions. For those who said there was no consultation on the three Auckland bills that are to determine the future of our great city I say that they are mistaken. This bill is about Auckland it is about Aucklanders and it is about the services and facilities that make up the city of Auckland. I am happy to support this bill. 
This is a speech of thanksgiving. I thank the Minister of Local Government the Hon Rodney Hide for his industrious work: the work that he has done behind the scenes and the work that he has done to lead this legislation which is the most important legislation we will pass this term. I also acknowledge the Hon John Carter who led the roadshow across Auckland. He led the roadshow right across Auckland but I thank him particularly for the roadshows across Maungakiekie. From Onehunga to Ellerslie and to Panmure Mr Carter went out explained what we were trying to achieve and listened to the people of Auckland. 
I thank the previous Labour Government for giving us the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance for setting this train in motion and for setting the process by which we will bring Auckland together. A united Auckland and a strong Auckland is good for New Zealand. 
I acknowledge my colleagues on the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee: the hard-working Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye; the eloquent Simon Bridges from Tauranga who is an Auckland boy by birth; the Hon Tau Henare for his leadership—thank you Tau—and of course Dr Jackie Blue for her intelligence her elegance and her contribution to the select committee. 
I acknowledge—and many have not done so tonight—the officials because many of them have put the legislation together and done the work behind the scenes. So I thank the officials. 
When we went out and spoke to the people of Maungakiekie we found that they responded. They sent emails they called my office and they visited me. The people who came to the meetings with the Hon John Carter and me said that they wanted three things: they wanted the “local” in “local boards” they wanted us to fix the infrastructure and they wanted us to minimise rates increases. They were not happy with the last City Vision local government of 2004-07. How did we respond to those three requests from the people of Maungakiekie? We responded by putting the powers back into local government. Members see that in the bill before them and many in this Chamber have already alluded to those provisions. 
How did we respond to the concerns about fixing infrastructure and about the council-controlled organisations that we are about to put in place? The arguments against council-controlled organisations have been put forward spurious as they are. We have already heard one speaker refer to Manukau City Council and its 40 existing council-controlled organisations. 
This bill is about fixing infrastructure and uniting all the agencies that provide facilities and services for Auckland. For members who do not believe me—and I know members opposite do not—I will quote from the  
New Zealand Herald 
 of Tuesday 25 May: “it presents a workable framework for uniting Auckland that should have the support of Aucklanders.”