SpeechPAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) (remote): Thank you Mr Speaker and it's a pleasure to be speaking on the Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill a local bill put forward by the local member Tāmati Coffey. Can I just correct some of the words that I've heard that have been all negative and that's not my perception and experience of Rotorua. It has been nothing but positive every time I go there. Can I acknowledge Tāmati Coffey for really explaining and laying out those terms of reference right at the beginning in speaking to this bill because I get a little bit sick and tired of people rolling out continuously negative facts and figures around Rotorua. If we want action my onus is and the upbringing I had is that you help—you get in there and help—and I don't believe that this is just the responsibility of a hard-working mayor and a former member. Stevie Chadwick has certainly proven her stripes. She's gone through that district as their member of Parliament and now mayor. But I must say that even though a Labour member which I assume she is she did not stand under a Labour endorsement or under the Labour brand. She stood for all the people of the district and the good people of Rotorua voted her in. I want to just continue that because it's important to note that they the council have put this to the people and when the majority of people get a bit nervous about sharing power. Looking at the assets and the public services that the district delivers and owns it can be scary. But look the district makes no apology in my opinion about their desire to say Look with our history"—which was well explained by Tāmati Coffey. I've not heard that in such detail and of such a succinct nature where one can actually go "Wow I didn't know that." But this reflects that and heralds the reset that's desired by the Rotorua Lakes Council. I look at Māori wards and the debate that we've had and I'm proud of that debate. It needed to happen. It definitely needed to happen because too often people like myself when I was on the Wellington City Council would say "Oh it's easy—it's easy for Māori to get on council. Look at Paul Eagle." That's absolutely not the case. It was as difficult for Māori to get on any council a hundred years ago as it is today and just because we see more brown faces it doesn't mean that the current system works. So I applaud the desire of this Government to make sure that there's a true meaningful partnership on local authorities right throughout New Zealand. When you take a look at what the Rotorua Lakes Council did in terms of conducting their representation review it did say it was one mayor elected at large one Māori ward with three seats one general ward with three seats and four seats at large. I think that's entirely reasonable. That's been adopted by the council back on 21 May 2021 and the process has then taken off from there. I'm proud that they've decided to say "Look let's not wait and let's not have the debate in terms of the fundamentals of that conversation. Let's take it through a local bill process to promote the legislative change." which they're able to do at the local level. I'm happy to be on the Māori Affairs Committee and I'm glad that it's coming to this committee because it means that we can have that debate with those who disagree and of course those who agree with it. It is time. I'm not apologetic for such an action by the Rotorua Lakes Council. I think it is leadership in action. It promotes partnership and we will have that debate. But we will also allow the people of the district to talk positively about this and to enter a new era where they already share co-govern work in partnership and work together for what's best for the Rotorua District. So I applaud the mayor and the MP Tāmati Coffey. I'm glad that I'm part of this Government and on the Māori Affairs Committee. I commend this bill to the House."