Watching the sausage makers

“Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made.” – Otto von Bismarck

Over the past couple days we’ve spent a good deal of time watching ParliamentTV as the House met in committee stage to consider the Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill under urgency. Yesterday I wrote about the stupid tactics of the New Zealand Labour Party. Today those tactics continued.

However, today the Opposition also promoted amendments raising substantive issues, with no more success than with their frivolous attempts. Labour admits they’re attempting to filibuster the legislation, but to what end? They acknowledge they can’t stop the bill.

Labour has focused on what they see as the lack of any opportunity for Aucklanders to have a say on this. The Green Party says they think that the real agenda is to strip the assets of the eight councils, either selling or privatising them. Both parties think the structure backed by the government will ensure that power is held by the business and wealthy elites who wouldn’t be able to win power without a system stacked in their favour.

As evidence, they point to the transition board, which will have absolute control over the eight councils until the new Auckland Council takes over in around 18 months. This board will be made up of well-connected business elites who will report only to the Local Government Minister, Rodney Hide, from the neoconservative ACT Party. His party believes government should own nothing and backs asset-stripping the local councils.

The National-led government tossed out the report of the Royal Commission, which was the result of 18 months of research, over 3500 submissions and discussions with international experts, and replaced it with their plan after only a few days’ work. The Government now claims that “everything is on the table”, except for the single unitary council. But, as Bismarck also said, “When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn't the slightest intention of putting it into practice.”

I think that both Labour and the Greens have raised valid concerns about the National-led Government’s plans and the likely structure that National and its rightwing allies will push through. Where I disagree with them—strongly—is on tactics. Let’s take National at their word—call their bluff, if you prefer—and demand in Select Committee the necessary changes to ensure democracy is retained in the new Auckland.

More than anything, though, we need to get this resolved so the people of Auckland and the more than 6,000 employees of the eight councils can get on with their lives. If democracy prevails, neither side will get everything it wants, but to quote Bismarck one more time, “Politics is the art of the possible.” Let’s see what’s possible.