12 March 2009 Media Statement

Royal Commission report on Auckland must be released as soon as it’s received

Labour says the Government owes it to Aucklanders to release the report of the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance as soon as it receives it.

Local Government spokesperson Shane Jones and Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford say they understand the Government is considering whether to release the report quickly or hold on to it while it formulates its own proposals.

"In the interests of informed public debate, the Government needs to release the report as soon as possible after it is delivered to the Governor-General on March 31," Phil Twyford said today.

"The Government may be tempted to release its own proposals simultaneously with the report, but that would have the effect of steering media coverage and public debate away from the Commission's findings and toward the Government's own plans.”

Shane Jones said: "Prime Minister John Key apparently is inclined to release the report early, but we also understand that Local Government Minister Rodney Hide on the other hand wants to hold the report for a couple of weeks.

”That should not be allowed to happen. The report may well be the most demanding challenge Mr Hide faces in his job, but that’s no excuse for hiding it from the people most affected by it until he works out what to do.”

Phil Twyford said: "The excellent work of the Royal Commission has raised Aucklanders' expectations about the quality and significance of its report. It is imperative Government spin is not allowed to compromise the quality of the public debate about the findings. Nor should leaks be allowed to create confusion.”

There was precedent for early release of the Royal Commission report, he said. The Royal Commission on the Electoral System in 1986 was released to the public after three working days, and the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification in 2001 was released after one working day.

Contact: Phil Twyford 027 444 9161, Shane Jones 021 678 996.

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