Jones Dail: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Jones Dail: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:616;Page:12381] 
12.  
DAIL JONES (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Local Government 
: Does he have any plans to stop the sale of Westhaven Marina until Parliament has passed the Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill which decides the new asset-holding body to replace Infrastructure Auckland? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER (Minister of Local Government) 
:  
No. 
Dail Jones 
: Why is the Minister prepared to show no leadership as Minister of Local Government on this matter given the fundamental importance of Westhaven Marina to Auckland—the City of Sails—and the region; and does it not make sense to halt the sale of Westhaven Marina given the current massive reorganisation of public assets in Auckland instead of lining the pockets of financiers lawyers accountants and consultants who will make millions of dollars from the sale with no benefit to Auckland? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: Because I do not have any powers to prevent the sale. 
Dr Ashraf Choudhary 
: Does the Minister have the power to prevent the sale of Westhaven Marina by Ports of Auckland Ltd? 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There are some people in the public who watch this televised question time. The Minister just said that he had no powers and a question has come up from the far end of the Chamber by way of a supplementary question asking him whether he does have powers. That is a total waste of Parliament’s time. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member can ask the question again. That is within the Standing Orders. 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: Further to my earlier answer my officials advise that I do not have such powers under the Local Government Act 1974 or the Local Government Act 2002. Nor would I have those powers under the proposed Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill currently before the House. 
Keith Locke 
: Even if the Minister does not have that power would it not be wise for him to advise stopping the sale in view of the fact that Auckland Regional Holdings has a much broader mandate than Infrastructure Auckland—that is a mandate to manage assets and own them in the long-term interests of Auckland—and Auckland Regional Holdings may actually want to purchase the Westhaven asset at very little cost because it would just be shifting the asset from an 80 percent - owned subsidiary to the holding company itself namely Auckland Regional Holdings? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I am already on record as saying that I would prefer this asset to remain in public ownership but as explained to this House already I do not have the powers to force that to happen. 
Dail Jones 
: Why does the Minister say that he has no power when he is currently changing the law under the Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill in order to change the ownership of Infrastructure Auckland; and why is he failing to ensure that Westhaven Marina’s owner Ports of Auckland complies with the requirements of the Port Companies Act which states that a port company is to carry out port-related commercial activities and control the ownership thereof—especially as the High Court in Auckland decided that Westhaven Marina is a port-related commercial activity and on that basis gave Ports of Auckland ownership of Westhaven Marina making it clear that no other party could carry out a port-related activity and control the ownership of Westhaven Marina? Why is he not carrying out the High Court decision to retain the ownership of Westhaven Marina in Ports of Auckland? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That question was far too long and there were three parts to it. The Minister may comment if he wishes on two. 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: The member raises some good points. It is though the shareholding of Ports of Auckland that is considered to be a strategic asset not the actual physical assets as they are owned by a publicly listed company.