Brownlee Gerry:  
Brownlee Gerry:  
[Volume:654;Page:81] 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Economic Development) 
: 
 We have in front of us Part 3 of the Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill. I cannot understand what Labour’s problem is. I cannot understand what Labour’s problem is with protecting the livelihoods and interests of the 6000-plus workers in local government in Auckland. That is what this particular part of the bill does. Labour members are sitting over there and saying they have 22000 amendments to this bill and that those amendments will give greater say to the people of Auckland. Let us be very very clear about this situation. The councils in Auckland do not disappear because of this bill. That is the myth that Labour members are trying to perpetrate. It is abundantly clear that the Auckland Transition Agency will work in conjunction with those councils to set up the arrangements that will exist from 1 November 2010. What is wrong with that? What is wrong with trying to give some surety to the bureaucrats who run those councils up there right now and who are trying to put together these arrangements? 
One of the fascinating things we have observed is that just about everybody in the Chamber except for the Green Party members is saying that there should be one Auckland one arrangement and one unit of local governance. 
I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. There are very strict rules about movement around the Chamber. Only one or two MPs in the Chamber are given the authority to move around. We are seeing at the moment all sorts of little discussions going on. Oh hang on; they have gone back down their burrows. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Thank you. The point is a valid one in terms of members walking around and talking. The whips are the people who have that discretion but it has been happening on both sides of the Chamber. It is not unusual; we have been seeing quite a bit of that today. I invite the member to continue. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Clause 13 of the bill makes it very clear what the functions and duties of the transition agency are which are to organise all of those councils in order that they might move towards the most—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I want to indicate that I take offence as a Mallard to anyone else being described in the way that that member is. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I would like to withdraw and apologise to my colleague Mr Mallard. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Members see there a perfect example of how disorganised the Opposition is—how hopelessly disorganised the Opposition is. Do not start paddling that great pile of unread papers off Darren Hughes’ desk. When he exited the Beehive sacked as a Minister he took with him cartons full of correspondence that he had never bothered to read let alone respond to. It is a joke for Labour members to be here at this time of the night saying it is putting up these 10000 or 20000 or whatever it is— 
Hon Annette King 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I do not think the comments being made by Mr Brownlee have anything to do with the bill at all. You have been very strict tonight particularly on me making me stay in line with the bill. I would like you to apply the same rule to Mr Brownlee. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: That is a fair point. We are on Part 3 Mr Brownlee. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Certainly Mr Chairperson. My point simply is that the amendments to Part 3 that I have seen so far have nothing really to do with making the bill any better whatsoever. They are the usual sort of one-word twists here and there that make no difference to the effect that we are trying to put in place here at the moment. 
I go back to my original question. What is wrong with Labour when it cannot support arrangements that would give surety and certainty to the workers of Auckland? 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. You have been very generous in allowing members some leeway typically 30 seconds to a minute at the start of their speeches to range widely over the issues surrounding the bill before getting to the clause. You have warned that member several times and he has not drawn himself to the clause let alone the bill. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Thank you. That is another point and I will ask the member with a minute to go to speak on Part 3. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I know that every time I mention the fact that clause 13— 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. This is not the first time following a point of order that you have ruled that the member must come to the point or— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I hear what you are saying but the member was coming to the point because he did refer to the bill. I invite him to continue although he does not have much time left. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Mr Chairperson I know that every time I get to discussing clause 13 of Part 3 which talks about the transitional arrangements with which the transitional authority will work with the various councils up there the Opposition gets upset because essentially it is the surety that is given to chief executives through this process that the jobs of those Aucklanders who do a great job in local government up there at the moment but who will do an even better job when they work under one umbrella are protected. I think it is disingenuous for Labour Opposition members to rave on in the way they are and particularly the member Ms Ardern who was talking about our lack of care in these situations. It is interesting that Labour members have broken up my speech tonight. We have had speech after speech about nothing but utter rubbish from the Opposition.