Phil Twyford

Labour's Auckland Issues spokesperson, Phil Twyford says "Minister of Local Government, Rodney Hide is misleading Aucklanders on a daily basis as the list of super city critics grows longer and longer."

The latest critic is Local Government NZ, President, Lawrence Yule, who condemned the structure of the Auckland super city labelling it 'fundamentally undemocratic'.

Commentator Russell Brown said Mr. Hide's defence of the super city this morning was 'down right lying to Aucklanders'.

Over the past couple of weeks, Mr Hide has tried to convince us that local boards will be able "to make by-laws" when the government's second bill explicitly says that local boards can only propose by-laws to the Auckland Council.

Mr. Hide further tried to convince us that the Auckland council "could meet and sack one or all of the people on the CCOs", when the Auckland council will be subject to the same legal obligations as any public body to act fairly and reasonably.

Now his shambolic answers to questions in the House on council-controlled organisations show he has got himself in over his head

"How can Rodney Hide still think that Aucklanders want their local government corporatised when it is opposed by Len Brown, John Banks, Andrew Williams, Michael Barnett, Mike Lee, Local Government NZ, the NZ Herald, The Aucklander, Suburban Newspapers and hundreds of Aucklanders who submitted to the select committee?" says Phil Twyford.