Labour And Greens To Run Public Meetings On Super City Bill

27 January 2009 Media Statement Labour and Greens to run public meetings on super city bill Labour and the Greens are to run a series of public meetings across Auckland to encourage people to make parliamentary submissions on the flawed and undemocratic third super city bill. Labour MP Phil Twyford and Green Party MP Dave Clendon will host the meetings. They are concerned that the public has been given such a short time-frame to make submissions on the legislation, which was unveiled just before Christmas.

"The deadline for submissions is February 12, yet most Aucklanders will have been on holiday over this period and are unlikely to have had time to read it. This echoes the shoddy and cynical approach to consultation the Government has engaged in throughout this reform process," Phil Twyford says. "Sadly the bill as well as the process, is flawed and undemocratic. It sets up a complex corporate bureaucracy to run the new city with at least seven new entities each with their own boards and executives," says Dave Clendon.

"Labour believes the powerful new transport agency should instead by run directly by the Council so councillors are directly accountable for getting the city's public transport system moving," Phil Twyford says. Both parties are concerned that the bill fails to set out the powers of local boards as the Government had promised. "Aucklanders want to know local boards will have real powers, not just be toothless. But Rodney Hide has sidestepped the issue, instead allowing the new Council to decide what powers get delegated to the boards - which could end up being very few," Dave Clendon says. Both parties believe the grossly inflated campaign spending limits will benefit the rich and disadvantage the ordinary citizen and they also oppose the Government's plans to lifting the controls on privatisation of the Ports of Auckland and on water.

The public meetings dates are:

Waiheke - 7.15 - 9.00pm, Thursday 28th January, Morra Hall, 115 Ocean View Rd, Waiheke, hosted by Phil Twyford, David Clendon and Jacinda Ardern Rodney - 7.00 - 9.00pm,

Tuesday 2nd February, Catholic Hall, Alnwick St, Warkworth, hosted by Darien Fenton, Rajen Prasad and a Green Party speaker to be confirmed Maungakiekie and East - 7.30 - 9.00pm,

Tuesday 2nd February, Onehunga Community Centre, Church St, Onehunga, hosted by Phil Twyford, David Clendon, Carol Beaumont, Carmel Sepuloni and Ashraf Choudhary North Shore - 7.00 - 9.00pm,

Wednesday 3rd February, Rawene Centre, 33 Rawene Road Birkenhead, hosted by Darien Fenton and Keith Locke Waitakere - 7.00 - 9.00pm,

Wednesday 3rd February, New Lynn Community Centre - Recreation Room, Totara Avenue, New Lynn, hosted by Phil Twyford, David Clendon, David Cunliffe, Chris Carter, Lynne Pillay, and Carmel Sepuloni Auckland Central - 6.30 - 8.30pm,

Thursday 4th February, Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn, hosted by Phil Twyford, David Clendon and Jacinda Ardern Mt Albert/Mt Roskill - 7.00 - 8.30pm, Monday 8th February, Owairaka Primary School, 113-115 Richardson Road, Mt Albert, hosted by Phil Twyford, David Clendon, David Shearer and Carmel Sepuloni

Weblink to submission guides: http://labourparty.org.nz/haveyoursay http://www.greens.org.nz/actionalerts/submission-guide-local-government- auckland-law-reform-bill <>

ENDS

© Scoop Media