Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Local Government job could be Bennett’s biggest challenge

Local Government job could be Paula Bennett’s biggest challenge.


It is a long time since a Minister of Local Government was as high as number 5 in the Cabinet, together with the appointment of an Associate Minister outside Cabinet.

Paula Bennett and Louise Upston have a heavy workload ahead

There are huge pressures building in Local Government generally as ratepayers and businesses begin to react strongly to many issues which local councils appear less able to resolve, especially in the areas of financial management, planning controls and effective representative governance.

Funding for local councils has been a challenge for many years and. despite several inquiries and reviews, nothing has been produced which is radical enough to reform the present unfair system.

The re-organisation of Auckland’s local government system was quite a radical move, but experience is now showing that the in-built democracy deficit of fewer elected representatives and huge increases in bureaucrat numbers is raising tensions in many of the local communities which form the SuperCity.

Auckland issues involving debt and financial management, urban planning and the controversial Central Rail tunnel, are likely to draw in more central Government involvement, and to attract loud calls for amending legislation to remedy the democracy deficit.

Similar SuperCity proposals are under consideration around the country, and, with a biased Local Government Commission, such proposals could well be forced on unwilling participants. New amalgamation proposals are proving divisive and suggested advantages are being ridiculed in the light of Auckland’s financial woes.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

National Governments have traditionally been loathe to interfere with the independence of local councils, but more recently the present administration has introduced legislative changes which give a range of Ministerial interventions aimed at keeping councils on track in terms of fiscal management and responsibility.

These are big problems to be dealt with, and the appointment of a strong senior Minister to the Local Government portfolio should bring some hope to overburdened ratepayers that the Government has recognised the problems and intends to address them.

ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.