KW: After Amalgamation failures in Northland, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington is the National government attempting to do this via the backdoor while everyone watches the Rio Olympics?……..
Submitted by a reader
It seems that Laurence Yule is planning to force amalgamation on Hawke’s Bay. The following letter was in the Dominion Post:
Letters to the Editor
Dominion Post
2 August 2016
Local Govt Bill
At the recent local government conference widespread concern was expressed about the potential loss of “local democracy” if a revamped Local Government Commission (LGC) is authorised to amalgamate various bodies and require the establishment of commercial agencies with little if any elected directors.
Discussion almost entirely ignored the most radical proposal now before the House: to make the LGC a Crown agent (that is, subject to explicit direction by a minister) and to exempt from the Official Information Act any information from or about the process leading to a decision of the LGC, for example, to amalgamate.
Perhaps the bill is just provocative; perhaps fears of making local government a creature of the central executive are groundless. If not, this is a significant constitutional change.
Judith Aitken
Retiring Wellington Regional Councillor
Te Aro
I do not recall seeing anything in the HB Today about submissions which have, of course, closed. The bill is before parliament on its second reading before reaching a Select Committee. This is of great concern because, once again, our democracy is being challenged BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and the unwanted result will be presented to us as fait accompli – too late for us to do anything, again.
This is the Link sent to me from parliament:
Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2)
https://www.parliament.nz/en/
https://www.parliament.nz/en/
Herewith is a more extensive discussion on the issue by Muriel Newman