Central Government - National Life Issues

Q. Why include these in a City Council By Election campaign??

A. Primarily because whatever central government does impacts on the life of each local community.

We cannot look at any local issue without considering both the legislation in force from Central Government, and also the ethos of society that the Central Government creates. Governance, climate change, Infrastructure, race relations, are all matters that have to be dealt with by Local Government as well as Central Government. I comment on some of the issues here. Many of these date back to my time with The New Zealand Party and involvement in its policy committees and which I have refined and modified since. You will have the opportunity later this year to consider carefully which Central Government politicians offer the best solutions for New Zealand.

NEW ZEALAND AND AUCKLAND GOVERNANCE

AUCKLAND
A Royal Commission has been formed to hear submissions and come up with an answer to Auckland's dysfunctional governance. It is there, have your say to it.
We cannot produce a world leading city under the present structure.

The New Zealand Party policy was always to provide the best solutions as quickly as possible, at the least possible cost, and with the most effective outcome. We were not locked into mantra's, or little boxes of ‘right' or ‘left'.

It seems to me there are two possible scenario's

1. One supercity with a strengthened ward system. Community Board and Ward representation would be combined. All City Council services would come under the one city.
2. Three Cities, North Shore, Auckland City, and Manukau. All trans city services such as water, sewerage, transport etc would be set up as Local Body Trading Enterprises with one third owned by each city. One Director would be appointed by each city with 4 independent outside directors appointed.

Three combined meetings of all three city councils would be held each year, hosted by each in turn, to discuss regional issues.

Facilities which are housed in one city but serve the wider area such as the zoo, museum, Philharmonia, etc could be paid for 50% by the hosting city and 25% by each of the others, or on an equal per head of population basis.

It may be appropriate for part of Rodney and Counties to go to the adjacent Regional Councils.

I have a slight preference for the 3 city proposal to provide better local identity and governance however can live with either.

There is absolutely no need for any overriding body such as the Auckland Regional Council. Under either of the above scenario's it would be a gross waste of money.

The above two scenario's could have been refined, discussed, and refined further and offered to the Auckland citizens in a referendum with this year's general election and implemented in time for the next local body elections. Maybe the Royal Commission will come up with something better.

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

I BELIEVE IN A 4 YEAR TERM FOR BOTH CENTRAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT WITH ELECTIONS HELD ON A FIXED DATE E.G. FIRST SATURDAY OF OCTOBER. IN THIS CASE ELECTIONS WOULD BE HELD EVERY 2ND YEAR IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CITIZENS INITIATED REFERENDUM COVERING BOTH LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ISSUES. THE ISSUE OF A FOUR YEAR TERM WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE FIRST REFERENDUM HELD.

In the 1987, 1990, and 1993 elections we advocated the introduction of a true Citizens Initiated Referendum in conjunction with each election. (This is very different to the botched up Bolger version currently in place).

As the referendum is held in conjunction with central or local government elections costs (and inconvenience to the public) are minimised.

A relatively low number of signatures (100,000) would be required and there would be no limit to the number of questions in any referendum. All questions would have to pass the Election authorities to ensure there was no duplication, that the questions were appropriate, and that a clear outcome could be determined.

The results of the referendum must be declared within 7 days of the election. It would be mandatory for any issue passed by at least 60% of registered voters (or 75% of votes cast) to be implemented by Government or City Council within 3 months or they would be required to resign and call a new election.

ELECTORAL FINANCE BILL
This is one of the most iniquitous pieces of legislation passed into New Zealand law in recent years and must be abolished forthwith.

It is a blatant attempt at subtle intimidation of those who wish to speak out on election issues. I saw far too much of this in my days travelling through China and the Soviet Union in the 1970's and 1980's to want any part of it in my country. Labour has forfeited the right to another term for this piece of legislation alone - quite apart from all its other failings.

Money does not buy elections! This is a mindless mantra quoted by Labour, which flies in the face of the facts. They quote the Proportional Representation debate and Exclusive Brethren fiasco as reasons for introducing this legislation. In both cases of course the cause was lost. The latest example is Romney in the USA who was the highest spending Republican Candidate, and one of the first to exit the race

The manipulation of the New Zealand political system started with National buying out Alamein Kopu. National forfeited the right to govern then. It is the people, the people, the people, who determine the composition of parliament in a true democracy, not the politicians.

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Like most people in the debate on the introduction of Proportional Representation I believe the STV (Single Transferable Vote) system is fairer and ensures that all politicians are subject to the people rather than the party. This could be included in the first referendum held to decide whether both central and Local Government elections should be held under this system.

 

NEW ZEALAND INFRASTRUCTURE

It is well documented and accepted that New Zealand is way behind the best in the world in provision of infrastructure to allow the country to flourish. While I have a preference for private enterprise to provide this they have been proven incapable of doing it for the most part.

BROADBAND
The Telecom monopoly of communications infrastructure has left as well behind the pack in Broadband provision. If Private Enterprise does not bring this up to world leading standards as soon as technically possible the government should step in.

NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS
Private Enterprise had their chance and lost. Under both National and Labour governments the railways became a grossly inefficient protected organisation losing vast sums of money and employing a huge excess of people. What most people do not seem to realise is that it was actually under public ownership the railways were turned into an efficient profitable enterprise in the late 1980's by the reforming Labour government and Richard Prebble. National virtually gave it away to their mates who stripped out the assets and we have a dysfunctional under resourced institution which should be the backbone of New Zealand's long distance freight system.

The sweetheart deal done by Cullen with Toll originally was outrageous and the government had to take back the tracks and pour millions into their upgrading.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD STOP NEGOTIATING WITH TOLL WHO I UNDERSTAND ARE NOT PAYING THEIR BILLS FULLY AND WOULD SEEM THEREFORE TO BE BREACH OF CONTRACT. BUY BACK THE RAILWAYS AND GET ON IMMEDIATELY WITH ELECTRIFYING THE LINE FROM TE RAPA TO BRITOMART AND TAKING THE OTHER STEPS NECESSARY TO MAKE RAILWAYS THE MOST EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICAL TRANSPORT IN NEW ZEALAND.

ROADS
Roads are an essential part of New Zealand's infrastructure. I would point out that The New Zealand Party advocated from 1987 that all road taxes should be returned to road users in terms of better infrastructure. If that had been done we would now have a motorway from Warkworth to Cambridge and Levin to Wellington, and much better roads elsewhere. Completion of State Highway 20 is an absolute priority to take pressure off Auckland's inner city motorways.

I am totally opposed to tolls or public private partnerships on New Zealand's state highways.

AUCKLAND AIRPORT
The nature of Michael Cullen's intervention in the sale of Auckland International Airport at a late stage of the sale process was absolutely outrageous. Business needs to know the rules under which it is to operate and then fulfil them. To have the rules changed in this manner destroys the very trust that is vital in any transaction.

I believe that Auckland City should retain its shares in Auckland airport and that foreign ownership should be restricted to a total of 25% for any one entity and 40% maximum in this and any other strategic asset. Assets which are considered strategic should be listed as such immediately.

The Government through Kiwisaver and other funds has increasing amounts to invest. They (and the people of New Zealand) would do far better investing in assets such as Auckland Airport than in overseas sharemarkets as has been experienced on the international market lately!

ENERGY
Our power supply system is a shambles and now we face the prospect of power cuts again through a winter of discontent. Most of our problems are caused by the shonky ‘reforms' of the National Party. The only things about them that I would guarantee is that
(a) our power supplies are not as secure as they should
(b) we are paying more for our supplies than we should be

I would point out that many years ago, while we still had a DSIR, we wanted to bring together the best brains of the DSIR, Universities, and Private Enterprise to pursue two stands of science and make New Zealand world leaders

1. Energy supply from renewable resources and transportation by non polluting means. We could have been world leaders in solar generation and electric transportation by now!
2. I believe there are far more healing properties in the products of nature (sea and forest) than we give God credit for. There is also an enormous amount of quackery and virtually fraudulent claims for unproven ‘remedies'. We need to scientifically explore the possibilities and subject them to the same level of testing as the normal drugs we use, then patent them by the government for the benefit of all humanity.

We took New Zealand's clean, green, image seriously in a very practical way.
For instance there would be no argument with Waikato farmers about power pylons across their properties. Transpower would be under instruction that any future power lines had to be undergrounded, and that at least 5km per annum of existing pylons and lines be undergrounded, starting with the iconic landscapes of the Tongariro National Park and McKenzie country.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Beyond infrastructure we come back to the people for whom the government is supposed to both lead and serve. We all say we long for a peaceful harmonious vibrant society, yet do many things that work against this. It is time we went right back to basics and relooked at how we want this country to operate.

CONSTITUTION
We believed and promoted in the New Zealand Party, and I still believe, that forming a Royal Commission to establish a written Constitution is the best solution for the grumbling issues that cause much friction in our society. The Constitution itself is not necessarily the panacea but it will focus the debate on how we want the country to function in the future and (hopefully) put to bed some of the issues of the past. Issues of the Treaty of Waitangi, the flag, the monarchy, Maori seats in Parliament, governance, etc all come up for debate and resolution.

MY OWN VIEWS
We have an amazing history in New Zealand and the tragedy is that so much of it is lost by neglect, political correctness, manipulation, wilful ‘rewriting', and fraudulent misrepresentation.

We need to establish some basic

1. Culture changes from century to century and decade to decade
2. In any culture at any time there is both good and bad
3. A smart society will always pick the best of each culture available to it and meld it into a new and better culture than the original.
4. The difference between the regulatory and cultural aspects of life must be understood
5. Each person must be free to practice their culture and religion provided it does not interfere with any other persons rights
6. Each person must be equal before the law in the regulatory aspects of life

Both Labour and National have taken us down a separatist, racist path over the last decades which is sowing the seeds of conflict for generations to come, rather than resolving past grievances.

I am totally opposed to the guilt and grievance industry built up over the past decades through the actions of Labour and National Governments. It sows discord rather than harmony. It creates rather than resolves grievances, it impoverishes rather than empowers those involved. But a lot of lawyers have got very rich!

When I went into politics it was with the hope of being part of building a nation "founded on justice and truth with a passion for excellence in all good things".

We have to ask some hard questions and provide calm and rational answers as to what creates a fair and just society. A willingness to look at truth is the first requisite, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. Then justice will be done.

MAORI SEATS
My belief is exactly the same now as I promoted in 1987, 1990, and 1993 that New Zealand will be a country which has come of age when Maori themselves want to participate equally with every other New Zealander in government and ask for them to be abolished.

THE ENVIRONMENT - GLOBAL WARNING

There is no doubt that the climate is changing with more extreme weather events happening more regularly.

There is considerable doubt as to how much of this is man made.

There is no doubt that much of the hype and fear mongering around climate change is specious. The carbon trading emissions scheme of ours, and other, governments is almost fraudulent, and highly unlikely to make any difference at all. No doubt saving the Amazon forest and other such schemes will be sold many times over, and the planet will be no better off.

As part of taking our green, clean image seriously and our scientific energy supply and transportation study we wanted 2 years concentrated study and development. After that time all new buildings would have been required to
(a) be insulated to the highest standards
(b) capture what energy it could in the form of solar (and maybe wind)
(c) capture what water it could for non drinking purposes.

Instead the government is lumbering us with all sorts of extra expense and compliance costs on very questionable grounds.

We could have electric powered cars suitable for urban areas capable of travelling at 80k per hour for 60-80km per charge at a cost of around $2 cents per km available in New Zealand for around $20,000 within a few months. They are operated in Europe and the United Kingdom very successfully however our government refuses to allow their import!

We would know by now whether it is feasible, and I suspect it is, to have an increasing proportion of our freight carried to Europe by modern solar powered airships. Not a food mile problem in 18,000 km!! Goods picked up at point of manufacture, and dropped at point of consumption. Fabulous. Instead we face the prospects of New Zealand produce becoming increasingly unattractive to European consumers as they are ‘conned' by the food mile debate.

Pollution is a major, recognisable, scientifically proven hazard to health, and maybe climate change. We should be combating pollution for health, and image (clean and green) issues sake. If it helps with climate change as well then that is a bonus.