Choudhary Ashraf: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
Choudhary Ashraf: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6447] 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY (Labour) 
: 
 I am delighted to rise to speak to the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill particularly in relation to the Asian Advisory Board. But before I do that can I say that I had a lot of time for John Carter until recent times. He was the chair of the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee and I believe he did a great job while we were listening to the submitters. We went to all parts of Auckland. I had the opportunity to sit with him and listen to a lot of the submissions. Every time he raised hopes. There were high hopes of John Carter. I am really disappointed to see that he has been rolled over. He has been ruled out again. I thought he had a lot of influence in the National Party but it looks like he has been ruled out. Time and again I heard that he was very sympathetic to Maori seats and to the Maori people. We heard them in Rodney we heard them in Manukau we heard them at the subcommittee but it looks like John Carter has been ruled out. After all the good things he said in the select committee process I am very disappointed about that. I thought he was a person who stands up for what he believes in but clearly he has given up on this particular occasion. 
Asian people have been in this country for 130 years. I am quite sure that National Party members do not realise that. Asians have been around for a long time. A lot of people came from China and I am sure Pansy Wong knows that. They have been around for 130 years but it was not until 1996 that Asian people entered Parliament. I pay respect to Pansy Wong. She came in in 1996. She has been around but what has she done? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Has she been in Parliament all that time? 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: All that time but all she has done is attend Diwali functions and Chinese New Year functions and that is about all. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Free feeds! 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: For free feeds and to say hello to people in all their languages. That is about all she has done. Now she is joined by Mr Bakshi. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: He doesn’t even turn up for the free feeds! 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: He is also turning up for the free feeds. I want to ask those members one question: have they raised an Asian or ethnic issue in their caucus? Have they asked any questions of the Prime Minister as to why something has not been done? Have they asked John Carter what he has done for Asian people? Those members have done nothing. I would like them to take a call to tell us their side to tell us what they have done for the Asian and ethnic people of Auckland regarding particularly Auckland governance. Nearly 20 percent of the population of Auckland is Asian and that population is growing. Those people will have no opportunity to be represented on the Auckland Council. It is very clear that in the election Mr Bakshi got 7 percent fewer votes in Manukau East than the National Party. Those are the real statistics. They mean that even National Party people did not support him and did not vote for him. Similarly Ravi Musuku got 7 percent fewer votes than the National Party. People voted for the party but not for those candidates. Recently Melissa Lee got 17 percent of the vote in Mt Albert half of the National Party’s vote. 
Hon George Hawkins 
: Where is she? 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: She is not taking any calls. Those members think they represent the ethnic people of Auckland but they are not speaking up. They are not taking up their cause with their caucus the Prime Minister or the Minister concerned. They do not want to do that because they think they will be gone. The Auckland community is very diverse.