6. HONE HARAWIRA (Māori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) Link to this
to the Minister of Local Government
What precedent does the Prime Minister’s decision to listen to the people in respect of the Rodney boundary set for other decisions on the Auckland super-city?
Hon RODNEY HIDE (Minister of Local Government) Link to this
Yesterday the Government announced that it would stick to the boundary decision it first made on 6 April—that is, that all of the Rodney District will be part of the new Auckland Council. This is not about setting any precedents; it is about getting the very best governance structure for Auckland.
Kia ora, Mr Speaker. Has the Minister received any advice that the Prime Minister might be willing to adopt the same principle of listening to the people in respect of the Māori seats on the Auckland super-city, particularly given the overwhelming support for them from the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, all of the mana whenua groups in Auckland, the two major iwi groups in Auckland, 100 percent of the Māori submissions to the Auckland select committee, 80 percent of the non-Māori submissions to the Auckland select committee, the majority of Auckland’s councils, most of Auckland’s mayors, three of the five major parties in Parliament, and every intelligent political commentator in the country?
I would note that we have a Prime Minister who listens to the nth degree to the people of New Zealand. I have to say that in his decision making he is remarkably in touch with the people of New Zealand, and I think that is reflected in the polls. There are two different issues, though. One is where the northern boundary of the Auckland region should lie. The other is whether the Government should overturn the principle of one person, one vote, and every position of political power being open to every citizen in a free and open contest. The Government has opted for the principle of one law for all. I observe that this does not preclude Māori from campaigning for and winning a position on the Auckland Council or local boards. In fact, five Māori are now serving in local government in the Auckland region, two of whom are deputy mayors. I also note that if the people of Auckland choose to have reserved Māori seats, they can do so under the Local Electoral Act, and indeed the council itself can choose this. Indeed, mayoral candidate Len Brown has made providing separate Māori seats a key policy plank of his campaign to be the first mayor of a united Auckland.
Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Has the Minister heard any reports about why the Prime Minister was so quick to listen to the people of Rodney District in respect of their boundary issues, but so very, very reluctant to listen to the overwhelming opinion in support of Māori seats on the Auckland super-city council, and has instead chosen to throw his lot in with a party that struggled to make the margin of error?
I repeat that the Prime Minister has bent over backwards to listen to all the issues and, in particular, to Māori concerns and Māori groups in Auckland. I particularly recall the Prime Minister travelling to the Hon Pita Sharples’ electorate office for a very good, open, and frank discussion. In the event, the Government has had to make a decision. I repeat that this is not about precluding Māori from the seats of the council. In fact, it is about opening up Auckland to a proper, free political contest for the governance of Auckland.
Hon Shane JonesHow is it mana-enhancing for Rodney District residents to get what they want but for Māori electors in the city of Auckland to be told to take a hike?
I would say the Hon Shane Jones is used to playing politics in a way—[ Interruption] Let me answer the question. He is used to playing politics in such a way that there is a winner and a loser. I say this Government is always about getting the best result, for Auckland in this case, and, indeed, for New Zealand. It has not been easy. I make the point that Len Brown, who I understand is Labour’s candidate for the Auckland mayoralty, has made it his plank to have Māori seats in Auckland. It will be up to the people of Auckland to decide on that.
Phil TwyfordWhat does the Minister say to National’s Hunua MP, Dr Paul Hutchison, who is reported to have described the proposed Franklin boundaries as the “worst possible scenario”, and why did the Minister not follow Dr Hutchison’s advice and amend the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill to reflect the royal commission’s recommendation on the Auckland boundaries?
I say to Dr Paul Hutchison to keep on being an excellent MP and to keep defeating Labour, which cannot have a bolt-hole of ever winning that seat against such a good member, who, I must say, pushed hard for his constituents. This was a very tough one, where the Government had to weigh up the interests of getting the boundary right for catchment purposes versus territorial authority purposes. On balance, and after discussions with the Waikato Regional Council, the Mayor of Waikato District, Peter Harris, the Auckland Regional Council, and, indeed, the Mayor of Franklin District, the Government considered it would be much easier to establish shared services for territorial authority purposes rather than catchment purposes. I commend Paul Hutchison for the assiduous way in which he looks after his constituents.
Mr SPEAKER