Mahuta NanaiaHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Local Government): Look there have been a number of questions raised in the Chamber and I feel—just before the committee is about to rise—I should respond to a few of them.But just to step back in order to lean in to the questions that we've been asked when I came into this particular role the local government sector was very fearful that there was an amalgamation agenda. As many times that I said that is not the agenda of this Government somehow some way they believed that there was an agenda. And it would be easy to understand if you looked at the original bill that was tabled in the House that we inherited that we are now seeking to change because in that particular bill there was a preference for multiply owned council-controlled organisations (CCOs). Again the sector was reading this as a covert way of trying to drive amalgamation. But here's the thing: there was a proposed enhanced role in the original bill that was tabled by the previous administration to strengthen the role of the Local Government Commission so that they could initiate amalgamation reviews. So you can understand the anxiety that we inherited from the sector that believed that there was this amalgamation agenda. It certainly isn't the case in terms of the aspirations of this Government—this coalition confidence and supply Government—who believe actually that local communities have the wherewithal to determine their own future which is why we have introduced the Supplementary Order Paper of this nature that breathes more transparency into the way in which CCOs operate.I want to come firstly to the questions that were raised by Willow-Jean Prime. The member asked about the provisions in relation to for example clause 21C which inserts new section 60A which sets out a provision for council-controlled organisations to take into account Māori and cultural views in relation to ancestral land water sites and wāhi tapu. Now I would probably say in the Auckland context both Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development and Watercare are really prime examples of where this would apply in a very practical way but would actually give regard to existing aspirations reflected through Treaty settlements in relation to the land and the water and the sacred sites of the area. For CCOs to have greater regard of those things and to make it very clear with the provisions that we're putting in it's actually the reality that those particular CCOs that I've mentioned are working with—it's the context within which they're working to right now and it adds and substantiates I guess their effort to take greater account of that.The other thing that I want to mention—and again it was raised by Willow-Jean Prime—is in relation to the role and function of the Local Government Commission. As I said in my opening statements to the committee stages this is stage one of rethinking and revising what the independent role and purpose will be of a local government commission in some form. This is not the place and time to rehearse policy; that will be done on another day. However this is the time to indicate and signal to the committee that there must be an independent role and it can take a different shape and form. And we're not just going to do that on the hoof.Debate interrupted.House resumed.The Chairperson reported progress on the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2).Report adopted.The House adjourned at 9.56 p.m.