Logie JanJAN LOGIE (Green): This Government has clearly thrown out the baby and its members are throwing out the water as well with this bill in their lack of support for this bill. The Green Party is very pleased to be able to support this bill.Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.JAN LOGIE: Before we rose for dinner I was talking about the Government member prior to me talking about the Government having thrown out the baby". I do think it was an interesting concept—particularly when you think of cradles of civilisation and how Greece is often talked about as one of the cradles of civilisation as well as some of the supporters of democracy—and it does seem apt in this situation that the Government has thrown the baby out of the cradle.The Greens are very happy to be supporting this bill because we really believe in local democracy. We heard from another previous National speaker who was saying he was absolutely an advocate for democracy—and then went on in his speech to sing the praises of how much better the politically appointed commissioners were than those who were democratically elected. It does seem to me that you cannot really have it both ways. We have also heard from previous speakers that the compromise of democracy—which we have been told is still democracy—is a transition; that it is being returned to the people even though the Law Society described this as a loss of local democracy. But you know do not worry about the law do not worry about our constitutional arrangements and keep on holding on to that truth/post-truth reality that you seem to have.We have also heard from speakers that the reason we need this abrogated democracy is that we need to protect the freshwater management in Canterbury. Yet—Hon Ruth Dyson: Yeah right!JAN LOGIE: Exactly. What we have heard and seen in Canterbury and the people in Canterbury have seen so vividly is an absolute loss of environmental integrity in our waterways. In the time that those commissioners have been in place the proportion of rivers in Canterbury that are swimmable has gone from 74 percent of them that were swimmable in 2010 to only 64 percent of them now—down 10 percent in that time. These are the people who have been brought in overriding local democracy to supposedly improve freshwater management. You have got to wonder what their concept of management really is if they think that is success.Then we heard that actually this is about the relationship with Ngāi Tahu and securing their voice in the local government process. That is something that the Greens absolutely support. We are very pleased that the member whose bill this is is keen to have that discussion in the select committee. But I would challenge the Government members that if they really were keen on that then go around the country and talk to every single iwi and ask them how happy they are with the performance and their relationships with their local government partners. You will find that if that is your rationale for putting in commissioners then there is a need for a whole lot more commissioners. And actually for the Government: you should be making changes to your Local Electoral Act and removing the blatantly racist provisions in there that require a referendum for the provision of Māori seats where there is no requirement for referenda for any other local electoral amendment. So if you are saying that an iwi representation is important for you then this bill does not stack up against your other actions.But ultimately this bill is about restoring the voice of the local people in Canterbury. They managed to get the elections and they elected people who supported freshwater management. Now we want that area to have 12 elected people—not 6. We want the Government to relinquish control and its agenda of irrigation and pollution. The hybrid model was not supported by the people of the area. Of the submissions last time when that model was brought in there were over a thousand and only 15 supported that. There is no way you can say the Government's model is wanted."