Goff Phil: General Debate 
Goff Phil: General Debate 
[Volume:653;Page:2710] 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Leader of the Opposition) 
: 
 Actually this side of the House does take unemployment seriously. We even sought to support the Job Summit in a bipartisan way. But let us look at whether the substance has matched the rhetoric. The $2 billion credit fund—the big idea—fell over; nothing came of it. The 9-day working fortnight saw 117 jobs saved. Each one of those jobs is important but 117 jobs were saved when Treasury tells us that 60000 jobs will be lost to New Zealanders this year. Then there was the cycleway. Do members remember the cycleway? It is the one that the real Prime Minister said would be built not this year not next year and not the year after. I say to Tau Henare that his people are the people who have suffered because this Government did not give tax cuts to those who would have spent it on necessities and stimulated the economy. So I do not want any of those double standards paraded here. 
Amidst the growing list of broken promises is that of the promise that the National Party made before the election that it would consult Aucklanders after the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Auckland Governance had been made public. What happened? One week after the royal commission’s report John Key and Rodney Hide told Aucklanders what they had already decided for the people of Auckland and indicated that they would ram that model through Parliament under urgency. Where is the consultation in that? Not even the mayors were asked for their views before that decision was announced except for one—John Banks. This legislation is about a gerrymander to suit the political interests of the ACT Party the National Government and their wealthy cronies. Make no mistake about that! This legislation is not legislation by Aucklanders for Aucklanders; it is a political gerrymander to suit the wealthy business and political interests of the ACT Party and the National Party. 
It is no wonder that there is a rising anger across Auckland as Aucklanders consider that they have had absolutely no say over the changes to the city they live in which they will be asked to pay for—absolutely no say at all. It is little wonder that in every suburban newspaper across Auckland—and I tabled this yesterday for the House—the normally mild-mannered suburban newspapers have said that Mr Key and Mr Hide are stripping democracy from Aucklanders. They have said that this National Government is using its bullying tactics to force on Aucklanders legislation that they neither want nor will tolerate. In my time in Parliament I have never seen suburban newspapers use such strong and clear language as the language they used last week. 
Section 49 of the Local Government Act states that where there is restructuring polls must be held. This happens to be the biggest restructuring in Auckland’s and New Zealand’s history. Will the National Government hold a poll as a poll was held in Christchurch for the amalgamation down there? No. Why is a poll not being held as required under section 49? It is because the National Government does not have the courage of its convictions and it does not have the confidence that Aucklanders will accept what it is trying to ram down their throats. That is why the National Government is not seeking a mandate for what it is trying to force on Aucklanders. John Key knows that 72 percent of his electorate when polled rejected what he is telling Aucklanders is good for them. I have heard a lot about nanny State but I have never seen a Government that imposes legislation against the will of people without their consultation in the manner that the Government is doing here.