Robertson H V Ross: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
Robertson H V Ross: Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:663;Page:11491] 
H V ROSS ROBERTSON (Labour—Manukau East) 
: 
 Kia ora tatou. No reira e te Whare. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: What are the Samoan ones? 
H V ROSS ROBERTSON 
: Talofa lava; malo le soifua—and in anticipation let me say thank you fa‘afetai lava for the opportunity to address this Committee on the issue of the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill. This bill will make Auckland’s local government less transparent less accountable and less responsive to the needs of Aucklanders. The Auckland Council should have more community involvement. 
I ask the Minister why the National-ACT Government deviated from the views of the royal commission. Labour when in Government initiated the royal commission but the National-ACT Government has chosen to ignore all of those recommendations and it has done so at its peril. That is why our colleagues from Auckland are here in the Chamber tonight debating this issue. We feel strongly that the people of our communities have been disenfranchised by the establishment of the council-controlled organisations. 
When I researched this legislation I looked and found the  
New Zealand Herald 
 poll. I am sure that the Minister is well aware of the figures: “Only 32.4 percent said they supported it while 58.8 percent were opposed.” So that tells me tells the Committee and tells the country that more than half of Aucklanders oppose their water transport and roads being run by unelected boards under the Government’s super-city plans. I have to put this to the Minister: why will he not stand up for those Aucklanders who are concerned about this issue? Why will he not allow the transparency and accountability that Aucklanders in this democracy are entitled to? 
I look along the wall of the Chamber and I see the plaques in commemoration of battles fought at Cassino in Korea and in the Pacific. We know that certain people left this country to defend our democracy and I hate to think what they might think tonight if they were to read this bill listen to this debate and understand just how much democracy and elected officialdom has been taken away from the people of Auckland with the establishment of the council-controlled organisations. It is just not good enough. 
I am told that Nikki Kaye when she was on the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee used to run around to all the submitters and say that she was going to fix it. But did she fix it? No she did not. Dr Paul Hutchison is from Franklin. But what has happened to Franklin? What did you do? Why did you not stand up for Franklin and for its mayor Mark Ball? Did you do so? No you did not. And what happened to Pukekohe? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Order— 
H V ROSS ROBERTSON 
: I am sorry Mr Chairperson. I should know better and I apologise profusely. I was talking to the member for Franklin because he has not stood up for that council. 
Hon Member 
: Hunua. 
H V ROSS ROBERTSON 
: Hunua I am sorry. I apologise. But he has not stood up. 
I will ask the Minister of Local Government a question. Mr Hide said that the Government will be appointing the founding members of the board but it will leave one or two positions on the board vacant for the new council to appoint when it comes into being on 1 November. I ask the Minister what exactly that means. I am sure that listeners and the general public will be only too pleased to get an explanation from the Minister of exactly what that means: how it will work who will be appointed on what criteria and why. If the Minister could answer that question I would certainly appreciate it because an answer is necessary. On this side of the Chamber we are asking for transparency accountability and openness. I notice that the Minister may—may—ask the boards to have public meetings. I suggest that more needs to be done on that and I know that my good friend and colleague the Hon George Hawkins will deal with that issue.