Twyford Phil: Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill — In Committee 
Twyford Phil: Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:670;Page:17104] 
PHIL TWYFORD (Labour) 
: 
 My colleague Iain Lees-Galloway made some excellent points in his speech. I will pick up on the relevance of the great legacy of George Parr the man who built a children’s convalescent home on the very piece of land we are discussing here tonight. It is obvious to everybody listening to this debate that this National-led Government would have closed down the children’s convalescent home if it had had the decision-making power over this important resource for the people of Hamilton. 
We are debating clause 5 which comes under the heading “Vesting of land in Council and related matters” and it is a very very significant clause in the Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill. Because of this clause the land is freed of trusts and vested in the council. The land is no longer subject to trusts or to the last will and testament of George Parr. I think that change is very relevant because we have seen a track record of this National-led Government interfering in—tampering with—the trust New Zealanders place in their elected officials to manage govern and steward the resources of this nation the assets that generations of New Zealanders have invested in. 
We saw a very very good example of that interference that is highly relevant to clause 5. Only a few months ago we saw this National Government repealing provisions in the local government legislation that guaranteed to New Zealanders the right to be consulted before a local territorial authority could dispose of alter or change the terms under which land had been given bequeathed or donated by people like George Parr. Under the local government legislation provisions that this Government repealed the people of Hamilton and the descendants of George Parr would have had to be consulted before the designation of this land was changed. But because of Rodney Hide the Minister of Local Government and the way in which he has run the local government portfolio for the last 2 years the people of Hamilton no longer have the right to be consulted about the future use governance and management of Parana Park. That democratic right has been taken away from them. I reckon it is worth reflecting on that as we debate clause 5 which is precisely about the vesting of this land in the council—the fee simple estate in this land being given to the council. It is no longer subject to the last will and testament or any trusts related to the legacy of George Parr. 
That is an important principle. The key word is trust and trust is something that the people of New Zealand are rapidly losing. They are losing trust in this National Government. Te Ururoa Flavell who has been here during this debate brought a bill to the House only a few months ago to look at the Public Works Act having been used to take property away from New Zealanders over generations. It is often the case that the land is then used for other purposes. 
Once this bill is passed the fee simple estate will pass into the hands of the Hamilton City Council. The descendants of George Parr and the trusts associated with the legacy of the land will no longer have any relevance and the Hamilton City Council will be free to do whatever it wants with the land within the terms of this bill. I think that is worth reflecting on. 
This Government has developed a habit of riding roughshod over the interests of communities and the desire of New Zealanders for special assets such as Parana Park to be managed in trust for the people of New Zealand. This Government has no interest in that concept. If it was up to this Government it would probably corporatise Parana Park and hand it over to a hand-picked board of directors made up of the mates of Rodney Hide and David Bennett to manage it and make a profit. 
Hon Member 
: Turn it into a dairy farm. 
PHIL TWYFORD 
: They would! They would probably turn it over to a dairy farm with the effluent running into the Waikato River.