Rodney Hide’s Auckland Transition Agency looks like it might be the victim of a political snafu. Two weeks after the agency’s five-member board was announced with fanfare, it appears that not only did Hide announce the appointments three days before enabling legislation took effect, but that someone forgot to gazette the appointments.
I have looked for the appointments in the Gazette and come up empty handed. Unless I am wrong, the board appointments and everything chairman Mark Ford and his colleagues have done over the past fortnight is unlawful and will need to be retrospectively validated.
The powerful transition agency is charged with managing the move to an Auckland Super City and overseeing the operations of the city’s seven existing councils. I realise this is not a major matter of principle, and god knows the Government’s mishandling of the super city process is giving us plenty of weighty matters of principle to get worked up about, but surely Aucklanders deserve to know this important issue is being competently managed? Coming hot on the heels of the first super city bill being rammed through under urgency, legislating away our right to a referendum on this forced amalgamation, the select committee allowing less than a month to receive submissions, and John Key endorsing Mayor Banks for super mayor 16 months out from the election, this won’t do much for public confidence in the Government’s handling of the super city.
Chronology:
May 22 – Local Government Minister Rodney Hide announces the appointment of the five-member Auckland Transition Agency
May 23 – The enabling Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Re-Organisation) Act receives the Royal Assent
May 25 – The Act comes into force.
Another botch-up (remembering Trevor Mallard almost catching out Rodney Hide when the current bill was first read in the house).
LOL. Where to from here in making NActional pay for this Phil?
We’re talking Rodney Hide and Johnkey – I don’t think there’s anybody left in NZ that actually expects competent management from either of them any more.
This just in on NZPA: “Mr Hide said the law allowed for appointments to be made in the way he had made them and Mr Twyford should read section 11 of the Interpretation Act,” Mr Hide said.
“The gazetting process will be completed as soon as practicable, as the law requires.
“Mr Twyford should give up bush lawyering and address himself to the serious issues facing Auckland.”
I dont think Rodney is right but it will take lawyers to sort it out! Let’s see.
And the cat is well and truly out of the bag about the government’s proposal to gut the Local Government Act as soon as they’re finished gutting the RMA:
http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0906/S00103.htm
In particular:
I was just about to post section 11 of the Interpretation Act, but I see I’ve been beaten to it!
Wasn’t this the govt who promised LESS control of our lives by Wellington?
During elections all parties preach local say, local control, democratic decision making. When they get into govt all the want to do is to do the exact opposite.