9 June 2009
Media release

Government appears split on local government agenda

John Key and Rodney Hide are giving mixed messages on Government plans for a major reform of local government, and the Prime Minister must spell out what’s going on, says Labour’s Local Government spokesperson George Hawkins.

“Mr Key yesterday appeared to disagree with a number of radical proposals set out in a Cabinet paper written by Local Government Minister Rodney Hide.

“He justified this by telling the post-Cabinet press conference that ‘Act’s views are always going to be a bit different from ours.’

“This just doesn’t wash. Rodney Hide represents the Government on this issue and is bound by Cabinet collective responsibility to present and speak about the Government’s position, not the Act Party’s,” says George Hawkins.

“The Local Government Minister is proposing reining in local government responsibilities to core services only, such as; rubbish collection, water, sewage treatment and roads.

“He is proposing the removal of the requirement for councils to deliver on ‘community outcomes’ such as social, environmental and cultural wellbeing. But he is refusing to spell out what this means or what his definition of core services actually entails.

“Mr Key yesterday declined to buy into the argument that council spending had gone overboard, saying only that ‘you can always point to isolated examples.’

“He said it was up to councils to determine their spending levels, which clearly contradicted a statement by Mr Hide yesterday saying ‘I will be looking at ways of ensuring local government operates within a defined budget.’

“Asked if he believed councils should restrict services to those around transport, water and rubbish Mr Key said ‘No, they are quite clear involved in the delivery of social policy and quite a wide range of things.

“Mr Key added the provision of council housing ‘made sense’ in certain areas and said ‘councils have quite wide responsibilities and I expect them to continue to have quite wide responsibilities.’

“So is pensioner housing and our; local swimming pools, art galleries, parks and a range of other community facilities and events under threat or not? It’s now impossible to tell.

“This is either another example of political mismanagement or a deliberate muddying of the waters. Mr Key needs to come clean on just who is running the show and what the real local government agenda is,” says George Hawkins.

“Labour’s Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford said Mr Key also appeared to be distancing himself from the Government’s initial Super City proposals around local boards (second tier representation) yesterday.

“Mr Key said public feedback had revealed ‘a desire that the second tier could be stronger’ and should have ‘more authority and autonomy’ and he had ‘no doubt’ there would be changes to the second tier as a result.

“Is this another reflection of the fact that he made a mistake giving Rodney Hide the local government portfolio to manage?”

ENDS

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