Phil Twyford

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide is blatantly misleading Aucklanders in an increasingly desperate bid to sell the super city to a sceptical public, says Labour's Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford.

"Mr Hide and his Associate Minister John Carter are going around town saying their local boards will have the power to "make by-laws", when they have specifically ruled out the local boards having any rule-making powers.

"The sad truth of the Hide super city model is that the local boards can only advocate to the Super Council for a by-law, and lobby them to pass it, just like any other lobby group in Auckland can.

"In fact, the government banned the local boards from having any regulatory powers in their second super city bill passed last year.

"The Super Council is only allowed to delegate certain non-regulatory powers to local boards in areas like parks and libraries, except where a coordinated approach outweighs the benefits of a local decision, except where decision making would be more effective if integrated with other Council decisions, and except where the impact of a decision goes beyond the local board area.

"You can drive a truck through all those exceptions. Does anyone really think the new Council will willingly delegate powers downwards to local boards?"

"Yet Rodney Hide and John Carter still run around town saying local boards will have the power to 'make by-laws'? Who do they think they are fooling?

"The Government should start to listen to the hundreds of select committee submitters who want specific powers for local boards put into law so there is no ambiguity about their role and powers.

"Mr Hide can spin all he likes about how local boards "are key to encouraging Aucklanders to become more actively engaged" but that cannot happen if the government leaves local boards as toothless talkshops."