Simon Watts

Yes, so this is uh a specific board set up for Auckland Council. Short answer is is that for the independent Moray Statutory Board, uh, those members will only be able to vote on council committees where the law specifically enables it, and what that means is is that that committee is set up under a different act. Uh it's a retain their voting rights. If it's related to the specific act, so it's relates it to where they're doing the management of natural and physical resources. If they're on a subcommittee doing that, then they're able to vote. Uh, anything else they're not able to do. Is it the same case?

Uh look, I think aside from the the profile examples which we've seen, you know, up north and in other parts, there are committees that are legitimate. There's emergency management committees, for example, that are established which have specific expertise. Uh, there are some set up under the treaty settlement redress legislation, which again are uh under separate legislation. So, you know, there are some examples. Audition risk committee um is a good example where you might have an independent chair who has a specific finance and accounting background.

Oh, look, the reality is there's been a lot of feedback from councils and individuals across the country. Uh, this is a matter that's been in law. Go back two, three uh uh parties uh before this government, uh, and we've taken a look at it. It is a significant issue by terms of feedback we've had, uh, and we're going to be making the change. So I've got a bill on the table in the House at the moment, and we'll do an amendment. But importantly, yeah, the principle here is that people who aren't democratically elected should not have voting rights and the spending of ratepayer money. Uh, that's not uh democratic. I I don't agree with that. And as a government we're going to fix it.

Uh well, there will be some exceptions. Uh there are uh some legislation that has been set up under treaty settlements. Uh that's aspect of legislation that we can't uh change. Uh and there are uh a couple of other uh instances, but you know the in the main all of the discretionary committees that are set up. You think about the issue that played out in the far north, you think about what we've seen uh in Tauronga. You've also uh seen instances in the last term with uh someone under the age of eighteen being appointed onto Hastings Council. None of that stuff can happen going forward.

Yeah, that's right. And why? Because when we got feedback from councils, a number of them said we want to get on with it and I don't want to set the pace of this reform by the slowest council. Actually, the opposite. We want the ones that are ready to go to have a pathway to do that. So we've created that and yeah, looking forward to seeing who submits those proposals in the next 90 days. We'll make a call on that before the election and legislate next year. So we're not mucking around on this. It's an important area of reform, but we do want to crack on with making this happen.

Well, in the case of Southland, it'll depend on, it might be the number of mayors, it might be the composition of how many from each of the groupings, it may be the voice that they have from rural voice as well, so that's where we're going to allow some flexibility, but we'll take a look at their plans, they have to meet five principles that we've outlined which are pretty sensible, simplicity alignment, they've got to be feasible and they've got to deliver savings as well. And importantly, they do need to maintain local voice because that was something that came through pretty clearly on the consultation.

Look, from a first principles point of view, I do find it pretty challenging that people who aren't democratically elected are able to make decisions around the council table. I've actually sought some advice from my officials around this, and I'm going to get that back. I think of what I'm seeing in the far north, it'd be fair to say it's been pretty messy. And while I don't have jurisdiction under the Local Government Act to sort of step in, I am wanting to get a bit more information around. around these voting rights you know democracy says if you're voted in then you have the power if if you're not voted in then you know you shouldn't be making decisions on spending ratepayer money so that's where I stand on it and I'm going to take some advice next week and talk with my cabinet colleagues and go from there but we do have a mechanism to make those changes through the local government bill that I've got on the on the table at the moment so if it makes sense then I'm open

My gut is a bit uncomfortable with that. To be fair to say, Heather, well, because the point that I said before is that individuals that aren't democratically elected are making calls on how you spend ratepayer money doesn't sit well with me. And I don't think it probably sits well with too many people. But that's the law as it stands. And we made changes around getting rid of the co-governance and all that. But local government do set these rules, but at the end of the day I'm taking a look at it and I want to make sure it's fit for purpose.