Phil Twyford
Auckland Issues Spokesperson

26 June 2009 Media release
Labour welcomes signals of Government backdown

Labour is welcoming signs the Government is slowly beginning to accept key aspects of its flawed Super City plans must be revisited, says Labour’s Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford.

“Submissions to the select committee set to investigate the Government’s proposals close today and the Government is now clearly signalling it knows it must go back to the drawing board if it wants the support of Aucklanders.

“The proof will of course be in the pudding and I hope the Government’s apparent willingness to make changes is genuine. Time will tell. But comments made today by Associate Local Government Minister John Carter, who is also chairing the select committee, were heartening,” Phil Twyford says.

“Mr Carter told Radio NZ that he’d ‘learned a huge amount’ through Auckland community meetings and discussions on the issue and ‘it’s helped focus my mind on the things that matter for people. And where I started some six or eight weeks ago, I’ve shifted personally, myself, a lot.’

“It’s disappointing National failed to focus on the things that matter to the Auckland community in the first instance, but good on John Carter for coming clean. Let’s hope the Minister of Local Government and the Prime Minister agree.

“While they haven’t been so upfront, it does appear they have given similar signals. That’s good because the proposed reform of Auckland governance is huge and we need to get it right,” says Phil Twyford.

“Labour has repeatedly said that it supports a unitary authority for Auckland, but that the Government’s plans for the second tier were toothless and would deny communities the voice they required.

“Labour has also argued that all the Auckland councillors should be elected by wards and that there should not be councillors elected at large. This is to ensure all communities are equally and fairly represented at the top table and the councillors are strongly linked, and accountable, to those communities,” says Phil Twyford.

“The submissions which have been made public so far support the stance Labour has taken - that these critical changes must be made if the reforms are to succeed. Of course there are other issues that also need to be resolved as well.”

ENDS

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