[Sitting date: 27 November 2014. Volume:702;Page:5. Text is subject to correction.]

3. MARAMA FOX (Co-Leader—Māori Party) to the Minister of Local Government : He aha ngā kōwhiringa hou kua tirotirohia e ia kia nui ake ai ngā māngai o te tangata whenua i runga Kaunihera ā-Takiwā, Kaunihera ā-Hau Kāinga? [What initiatives has she investigated to increase tangata whenua representation on local and district councils?]

Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister of Local Government): I am always willing to look at how to improve representation overall with local government, but I do not currently have any plans to make changes to the current settings. However, in response to submissions made about Māori representation during the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 3) last year, the then Associate Minister of Local Government directed officials to work with relevant parties, including Te Puni Kōkori, and report back to Ministers in March next year with advice about Māori participation in local government processes, and I will consider that advice when I receive it.

Marama Fox : [Authorised te reo text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]

Hon PAULA BENNETT : I do think the right settings are currently in place. As I have said before, I am always willing to consider advice. I am not sure that it is a piece of legislation that Parliament should actually pass to change, actually, the representation that is on councils. As we have seen over time and in this Parliament itself, we have seen an increase in Māori participation, and I certainly encourage that. I think it should be in both local and central government. I personally, though, do not think it is a piece of legislation that does that. I think it is by being actively involved, by how the process is, and by having the kind of backing locally to put a strong candidate forward who can hold on their account. If they are Māori, then I certainly encourage that.

Marama Fox : [Authorised te reo text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]

Hon PAULA BENNETT : I will not be supporting resourcing councils, so we will not be giving them any other funding so that they can go out there and increase Māori participation, but what I will say is that we actively support and encourage Māori participation on councils. I would like to see more standing, but I would like them to get there on their merit. I think that there is a power machine behind our iwi, particularly our iwi leaders as we see them now, and if they were putting a strong campaign together behind that right candidate, then they could get there.

Rt Hon Winston Peters : Given the Minister’s second and third answer on the question of resourcing separatist systems, what was the Government’s position with regard to the Auckland super-city, where there is a statutory body resourced by the ratepayer as a result of central government legislation, which represents not Kiwi over iwi but a principle that was sold down the drain by her and her Government?

Hon PAULA BENNETT : To get past the grandstanding, what I would say—[Interruption] Well, it is. It was absolutely, and that is fine; that is good. What I would say is that Auckland has seven councils coming together as one—well, eight, really. What we saw there was a number of different initiatives. We felt that it was the right step at that time to try to ensure that there was representation, particularly in a place as big as Auckland. However, I am always willing to have another look at whether or not the settings are right, and it is one that I am taking an interest in.

Rt Hon Winston Peters : Who was grandstanding when they said “Kiwi not iwi.” or “One law for all.”, and then in the case of the Auckland super-city has a statutory body with millions of dollars of support now required to look at most applications for resource changes, and is that a case of the National Party selling principles down the road?

Mr SPEAKER : Order! In so far as there is ministerial responsibility—the Hon Paula Bennett.

Hon PAULA BENNETT : I was just going to point out to the member that the year is 2014 and not 2005, which is when that was actually done.

ENDS

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