Smith Nick: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Smith Nick: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:621;Page:16316] 
12.  
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
 to the  
Minister of Local Government 
: Why did he say on National Radio this morning with respect to the local body election shambles that “I’m huffing and puffing because that’s all I can do really”? [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: So far all the huffing and puffing has been done by others.  
Hon CHRIS CARTER (Minister of Local Government) 
: 
 Because that is the case. Local electoral officers are responsible for the conduct of local authority elections. I have no statutory power to take over their role nor do I have any power to intervene in the contracts that exist between electoral officers and their service providers. I may add that efforts by that member to score cheap political points will not fix the software problem. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Why on National Radio this morning when he was “huffing and puffing” did he not know that the counting of Dunedin City votes had not even started or who was paying for the Audit Office’s role in the counting when his department chairs the single transferable vote (STV) steering committee; and does that lack of knowledge days after this mess emerged not show complete incompetence on his part? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: As usual that member has misquoted my words. I made it clear this morning on National Radio that the counting of Porirua and Wellington votes was the priority because that was going to serve as the basis for seeing whether the system worked. 
Nanaia Mahuta 
: Can the Minister clarify whether there are any contingency plans if the current software problems cannot be resolved? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: Yes. My officials are working on such plans with electoral officers including the possible use of another service provider who has successfully completed STV elections this year. 
Jim Peters 
: When the Minister led this House through the Local Electoral Amendment Act 2002 did he have any understanding of the “New Zealand method” of counting single transferable votes; if so is it acceptable that the Government-directed STV health board elections have almost completely disenfranchised rural New Zealanders and that more than 100000 voters have had their democratic votes binned and disallowed and when will the Minister wake up and do something about it? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That was three supplementary questions. The Minister can address two of them. 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: Yes and no. 
Rod Donald 
: Does the Minister now consider that the procedures used by his Department of Internal Affairs staff to verify and authorise the systems used by contractors to process STV votes were sufficiently stringent; if so why? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: My staff are not authorised to make those decisions. Those decisions were made by the chief electoral officers of the councils concerned. 
Larry Baldock 
: Does the Minister accept that the problems that have badly affected the recent local body elections have the potential to do much more harm than the short-term damage of delayed results and mass confusion and that they could further deter voter participation in the future and increase voter apathy in local government elections; if so what steps does he plan to take to improve voter participation in the future? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I would certainly agree with that member that this process has not raised public confidence in local body election processes. But I am pleased to report that today the Justice and Electoral Committee announced the terms of reference for its very wide-ranging inquiry into the local body election. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Why did the Minister in response to an earlier question suggest that I was incorrect in saying that counting had not yet started on Dunedin City STV votes when that is exactly what the officials said yesterday to the  
Otago Daily Times 
? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I can only be responsible for the answers that I give in this House and I will stand by that. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: When the Minister was talking on National Radio this morning about himself “huffing and puffing” did he have in mind the story of the three little pigs; if so does he see himself as the big bad wolf who messed up the law and will end up in a heap of hot water? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I would rather be seen as the person who at least helped to fix it up for next time. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Why does the Minister not simply ask Datamail and Electionz.com for a clear timetable of when the votes will be counted and hold them to account for that? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I have asked that question approximately every 3 hours for the last 11 days.