New Zealand Parliamentary Debate

General Debate [4436]

RODNEY HIDE( Leader-ACT):

An issue of concern to New Zealanders right through the country is the difficulty and the expense of paying for local government. We are seeing exorbitant rates demands from local bodies throughout New Zealand. Despite the concern of local body politicians at the last election, Auckland residential rates will rise by 13. 8 percent, on average. In the last 3 years Wellington City Council's rates have increased by 20. 5 percent, Christchurch City Council's by 19. 4 percent, and Hamilton City Council's by 15. 2 percent.

I ask members to think about how people on fixed incomes-particularly the elderly-are supposed to cope with those outrageous increases. Indeed, just last week I was contacted by a pensioner whose rates bill for a house he bought in 1960 is now 2, 800. When he remonstrated with his local council about how he was to cope, they told him not to worry and to just sell his house. The man had lived in this house for 48 years. It is his house. The Sheriff of Nottingham would surely blush if, having extorted money out of the poor peasants at that rate, he then told them to sell their houses when they said they could no longer pay. The Sheriff of Nottingham would not do that.

Helen Clark shows no interest in this issue, whatsoever. By the way-this is public information-the rates bill on her house is 1, 600. I ask members to consider that the New Zealand Prime Minister's rates are 1, 600, and a poor pensioner on a fixed income-a very, very low income-has rates of 2, 800. What is fair and equitable about that? I say to the House that it is this Parliament that gives local councils the authority and the power to strike those rates. So it is our responsibility-

Jill Pettis

: Does the member support the rates rebate policy?

RODNEY HIDE

: There is old squeak. Old squeak is back in the House.

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER( Ann Hartley)

: The member knows that members of Parliament must be addressed by their correct names.

Dr Jonathan Coleman

: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Mrs Pettis is not speaking from her usual seat. Members should interject from their usual place. So she could go back to her position and interject from there.

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER( Ann Hartley)

: I am ruling on the matter. The member knows that that is in the Speakers' Rulings. I realise she is probably acting as whip at the moment.

RODNEY HIDE

: Not to worry-she could be all the way down at Te Papa and it would still be offensive and jarring to one's ears. That member has a horrible, horrible squeak-and God knows, I can see why she lost her seat in Wanganui.

Hon Lianne Dalziel

: I thought you said you were going to behave nicely when you came back from your dancing.

RODNEY HIDE

: I am being very nice. I just wish Labour would behave nicely and set some standards for a change, for this country. So I say to the House that it is Parliament that gives local government the power to strike rates, and therefore it is Parliament that has to take responsibility. We cannot duck the issue.

I am sorry to say that as I do the numbers I understand that it will be New Zealand First that will be responsible for the fact that the high rates bill that pensioners in particular will be confronted with will not get debated and discussed properly in this House. New Zealand First, despite its promises to the people of New Zealand, will be voting against my Local Government( Rating Cap) Amendment Bill, because it has a sweetheart deal with Helen Clark.

I have given up on the Labour Party. It does not care about the working people. It does not care about pensioners. It does not care about ratepayers. Day in and day out we see that Labour cares only about its power. It cares only about its titles. It cares only about its perks. It cares only about what it can rip off the most disadvantaged people who come to these shores. That is what we have come to expect from Labour. But even