Bennett Glen; Brown SimeonGLEN BENNETT (Labour): Kia ora Madam Chair. I tautoko and agree with what has been said on this side of the Chamber this afternoon—it is tough. Coming to clauses 1 and 2 the title and the commencement I've had a long history in working around Māori wards being based in New Plymouth. It was probably 2010 I think when we first started some campaigning. The Minister's well aware that before 2021 when we brought in .the Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act of the 24 councils that had tried since 2001 to establish a Māori ward and Māori constituency only two achieved it—only two. So that's why we need to consider what this title is about because I think it is misleading. What's in the tin should be on the tin. We need to realise that.Just to give context in terms of why I bring this up it's because you know again in Taranaki in New Plymouth we managed to get it across the line with councillors by one vote—by one vote. I remember that night. I remember sitting in the council chamber as a foster parent had four young people in there. We'd worked and we were excited—and we had kebabs for dinner that night. So it was so exciting we went to the local kebab shop and had kebabs which was a bit of a thrill. Anyway I digress. But it was about voice. Talking with these young people it was about you know to achieve and to be who you are you've got to see who you are. And you've got to see those people in places like local government.So when it comes to the title I think we need to reflect because 24 councils—22 councils I should say—tried and failed before 2021 to enact Māori wards. Because there was the ability to petition and 5 percent were able to petition and put it to a referendum. That's why we know that if—and I guess we have to be realistic on this side of the Chamber; when this passes into law it's going to mean the end for many many council Māori wards and constituencies.I hope—and maybe as I consider as I'm about to sort of explain what I think the title should be—that we have moved on a lot since 2014. I hope that we've moved on a lot since 2001 when the original legislation was brought in. I hope we've moved on a lot since 1986. In Inglewood I talked about the first female mayor last night and the consequences of her being elected and the refusal of the mayoral trains to be handed to her—in fact having to create a new set because they were hidden and out of sight and out of mind.So I think when it comes to this piece of legislation I agree with everything that's been said on this side of the Chamber. The Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill 2024 is misleading. I thought about if you could put things in like the electoral legislation the Māori ward. Yeah nah—I think that probably doesn't fit in with the Parliamentary Counsel Office. I was wondering about the Electoral Legislation (and Māori Wards in my Constituencies Back Off-track) Legislation" but I just didn't think that would probably ring and it's a bit too close to others.Then as I mentioned in the House last night when we look at this title how do we give it relevance? I spoke about the fact that between 1876 New Plymouth District Council's first iteration before Māori wards came into place 0.43 percent—0.43 percent—of all elected members had been Māori at that stage. Only two had ever been elected and the first was in 1998.So I really feel we need to consider this. We need to look at it and find whether it be the "Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and the Abolishment of Them) Amendment Bill 2024"—we need to consider this because this is challenging this is hard and I believe that this is divisive.Hon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Local Government): Thank you Madam Chair. Just in relation to recent comments from members there is a tabled amendment from Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan of the Green Party. The Government will not be supporting that tabled amendment as it doesn't reflect what the bill does. The bill is the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill because it makes amendments on all three of those issues.Rachel Boyack: Madam Chair.CHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger): Just in time and because the member has an Amendment Paper I'll take your call."