Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 3)

Part 1 deals with the Chatham Islands and has its council take up the functions of a regional council. We heard submissions at the Local Government and Environment Committee, and that seemed to be well supported. But the question I have for the Minister in respect of the Chatham Islands is—

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: Isn’t it There’s Something About Mary? Isn’t that the haircut?

At least I have some hair, which is more than I can say about either of those two Ministers. My question for the balding Minister, seeing there seems to be a focus on hairdos—which is about as sophisticated as the Labour Party gets these days—is: what funding will be provided to the Chatham Islands Council to enable it to pick up the regional council functions? Everybody knows that it has a small ratepayer base. It would be interesting to hear from the member who represents the Chatham Islands, and who has not participated in this debate to date, to tell us how the Government will assist the Chatham Islands Council meet the extra costs associated with dealing with the regional council functions provided for in clauses 3, 4, and 5.

Members on this side of the Committee are concerned about the imposition on ratepayers, which is something that does not seem to be of great concern to the Labour Party, and, noting the huge increase in rates throughout New Zealand under the term of this Minister—

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: Ha!

The Minister objects.

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: No, no, I don’t believe the member.

He does not believe me?

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: That the member could do that to his hair!

The Minister is more interested in hairdos than he is about rates. Well, the vast majority of members are actually quite concerned about their rates bill and the huge increase in rates.

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: Why has the member got his hands in his pockets?

The Minister is now all excited about where my hands might be. What a pathetic Minister of Education—

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: I am just trying to work out whether the member has pockets.

Well, actually I do, and I tell Mr Mallard that I think most of us in the Committee have pockets. Does it not say something about the intellectual grunt of the Minister of Education that—

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: No, he is just bored by a useless, tired, and hopeless Opposition.

The hopeless Minister of Education is not interested in whether the Chatham Islands Council will get any funding for the extra responsibilities the Minister wants to dump on it. That is a very fair question, and I hope the Minister will take a call and advise the Committee as to how these extra responsibilities will be funded by the very small number of ratepayers. Those ratepayers want to know who will get the bill.

Members on this side of the Chamber are concerned about rating costs, unlike the Government. They want to know why the ratepayers will have to pick up the extra responsibilities he wants to impose on this council.

The member Nick Smith asked a fair enough question as to how, with the very limited rating base, the Chathams will survive with the regional functions it has to carry out, such as biosecurity, dealing with waste, and the provision of fresh water. The Government recognises very much the challenges that small region of only some 700 people faces, so the Government has provided a one-off payment of $2.5 million to provide for a new fresh water and sewerage system on the Chathams, and will also pay for the development of a new tip on the island. In addition, the Chatham Islands Council has sought an expression of interest from other regional councils, such as the Wellington Regional Council, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, and Environment Canterbury, to tender for a collaborative role where the facilities of those larger regional councils will contract out to provide the services to the Chatham Islands that are required from that regional role.

Part 1 agreed to.

Part 2 Dog Control Act 1996