Councillors must be elected from wards

BY PHIL TWYFORD

OPINION: After months of debate on Auckland’s supercity politicians are now settling into a month-long marathon of hearing submissions on the future of local government in our biggest city.

Parliament’s supercity select committee started hearing submissions yesterday and will sit in each of Auckland’s cities and districts, as well as Waiheke Island and Great Barrier Island.

More than 2400 submissions have been received.

Critics of the pro-cess, myself included, have complained the government has bulldozed through important changes, including taking away Aucklanders’ right to a referendum.

The government’s proposals have certain-ly stirred up controversy with a 7000-strong hikoi up Queen St and dozens of public meetings across Auckland.

There is a lot of common ground when you look at what the critics are saying.

The big concerns are about democracy and a fear the supercity will silence local communities.

Most of the heat has been generated by the plan for 20 to 30 local boards under the supercity council.

In Rodney Hide and John Key’s draft law the boards are toothless talkshops without powers or budgets.

That runs against the Royal Commission’s recommendation that if you are going to centralise regional responsibilities like water and transport, you need to balance that with a strong second tier of local councils with powers to make a difference on local issues.

The mayors of North Shore, Waitakere and Manukau agree.

So does Local Government NZ, Labour, the Greens, all of Auckland’s community newspapers and an array of local groups.

Even cabinet minister Judith Collins said the boards needed to be more than "tea and scone clubs".

Labour wants boards with clear powers and responsibilities to look after things that matter at the local level.

They need to be big enough to do the job but small enough to be close to local communities.

The second issue is whether councillors will be elected "at large" across the city or from wards.

The government wants eight of the 20 councillors elected at large so they are free of the parochialism of communities, with the other 12 elected from wards.

It will cost a candidate standing at large huge sums just to send a letter to every voter. Only the rich will be able to stand.

It may also create unmanageably large constituencies. Imagine if a ratepayer wants an audience with one of the eight at-large councillors. No chance.

Labour and many others want all councillors elected from single member wards to ensure all communities are represented.

Maori representation is the third issue. The Royal Commission proposed Maori seats. The government has rejected that but Labour supports it.

These three issues are at the heart of all the controversy.

Whether the government takes on board people’s views will be the acid test of its handling of the supercity.

Labour backs a supercity with one mayor, one rates bill and one plan.

We think Auckland needs to be able to speak with one voice and make the big decisions on a regional basis.

But if the supercity silences local voices we risk killing a good idea.

Let’s see what the people have to say and how willing the government is to listen and change its mind.

• Phil Twyford is Labour’s Auckland spokesman.

- © Fairfax NZ News