15 April 2009 Media Statement

National and Act must listen over Auckland

The National/Act Government needs to take a deep breath and show it can trust the people of Auckland by allowing them further input into the future of Auckland’s governance, says Labour Local Government spokesman Shane Jones.

“It’s good that the city’s mayors appear to have made a peace pact and now it’s Rodney Hide’s turn. The Local Government Minister can start by pulling back on his plans to ram legislation through under urgency as soon as Parliament resumes.

“This juggernaut would send completely the wrong signal and Mr Hide should use his meeting with the mayors tomorrow to promise he will delay introducing legislation until he has heard what they, and other Aucklanders, have to say.

“Today’s hui in Orakei is further evidence that Mr Hide has got a lot of work to do when it comes to listening and repairing relationships,” Mr Jones said.

“It’s ironic that the self-dubbed Minister for Ratepayers is refusing to allow them any further consultation.

“This is a Minister who spent years in Opposition railing against so-calling nanny statism and who is now becoming its greatest proponent. Mr Hide must demonstrate he has not forgotten the ‘local’ in local government before he loses all credibility.

“Ramming legislation through without consultation on Auckland governance is bad enough.

“The fact that it will result in a huge centralisation of power in the new Auckland SuperCity and leave most Aucklanders feeling they have less access to their decision-makers compounds the mistake terribly,” Mr Jones says.

“Over-concentration of power in the hands of a few people will gut local democracy and leave the city the poorer for it. Mr Hide needs to take a reality check, take the jackboots off, stop listening to Prime Minister John Key’s instructions and start listening to Aucklanders.”

ENDS

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