SpeechPAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) (remote): Thank you Mr Speaker. It's a pleasure to be talking on this bill the Local Government (Pecuniary Interests Register) Amendment Bill. Can I just acknowledge the words of the previous speaker the Hon Michael Woodhouse. I was just reflecting on what that member said about standing for the Mayor of Dunedin city. I think he said something like I'd rather put a hot needle in my eye." or something like that which I thought was rather hilarious. But I guess that sort of sums up local government in many ways sometimes.But on a more positive note can I just acknowledge Tangi Utikere for the same reasons others have talked about—he has come from local government as have myself and of course the chair of the Governance and Administration Committee; I acknowledge you Mr Speaker—and for bringing this around improving the transparency and strengthening the public trust and confidence in the decision making of local authorities. I want to also just say to the member yeah it's great having a member's bill drawn from the ballot and being able to have something to say that's featured for a big part of his life in terms of being on Palmerston North City Council—and I note they're looking for a chief executive—but also to reflect with some skill and experience why this is important to have for local government.I want to just acknowledge this Government's work—and if I can just point to the work of the Hon Nanaia Mahuta in terms of what Labour's doing here for the future of local government that review. They have already started engaging with the sector. We've seen other aspects in terms of Māori wards other types of structures that are coming through in terms of saying what will the direction of this review look like. That draft report for consultation will happen next year with a report due at some point in 2023 also; so well done. This is the first reading and so I'm looking forward to how this progresses through the select committee.Look I just wanted to point out a few things and some of the things have already been said. I did note interestingly that one of the conversations has been around the comparison to central government and that's been mentioned by members in terms of saying look one example is the very full-time nature of this role versus local government where I know in many of the smaller districts it's very much a part-time role. There's also been the point made around those people in particular having many other jobs or another job or role and they can be various within the local community that they represent. So not only are they an elected member but they may own a construction company or be on several boards and so the conflicts may be many. Then of course some of those organisations or entities that they sit on they could be in another governance role or even have a management role but some may even apply to the local authority for funding.So these conflicts are many. I know one of the conversations that we had between the member and his former mayor there in Palmerston North was around the practice of declaring conflicts and pecuniary interests up front at the start of meetings or in some other way where it was sort of self-managing. I know that that can be seen as—look I know even for the local authority here in the capital city too often are there conflicts which need secondary legal opinions to determine whether they are to determine what the consequences are and then the behaviour of the individual will dictate how they participate in the conversation or in the deliberations of that particular paper or that topic. So I think one thing I conclude from the member's desire here is to clean that up and to make sure that that's not the sort of practice that is going to continue. So I applaud him for that.I also note too that in terms of other local authorities such as Auckland—and that has been mentioned—you have local boards and so community boards and local boards. I know that community boards can be a lot smaller but in this case of Auckland the local boards can be as big as some of our district councils and in control of much larger decision-making or a part of that process for decision making and so their interests as such will be much more transparent which is the purpose of this bill in terms of saying "Well if you are on those two types of committees which are part of the local government structure currently then you too will be subject to this bill."I did note with interest—I don't sit on the Governance and Administration Committee; I did in the previous term—the conversation about those who are appointed to council committees. Now I was interested in this because there is always some conflict not with all members but what you'll find is they can come to these committees with several conflicts. So it was interesting to see that the committee has said that they would still be subject to disclosing the more limited information under the 1968 law on members' interests.So look I do wish the committee well as they go through this. I'm assured that it will be in time for the local body elections coming up on 8 October and it will only be those who come in this year who will be subject to these. So well done to this committee. Well done to the member for his work. I did want to finish off with one more comment which I think I may have covered so look I think I'll finish there and say well done to the member and all the very best for this bill. I commend this bill to the House."