Auckland's supercity mayor will sit in on cabinet meetings affecting the city under a Labour government, Labour leader Phil Goff said today.From November 1 eight Auckland councils will combine to become a supercity, governed by one mayor.The former Labour
Auckland's supercity mayor will sit in on cabinet meetings affecting the city under a Labour government, Labour leader Phil Goff said today.
From November 1 eight Auckland councils will combine to become a supercity, governed by one mayor.
The former Labour government started the move to the supercity and the current National-led Government has run with it, albeit in a different form to that envisaged by Labour.
Mr Goff today said a future Labour government would invite the supercity mayor to attend cabinet meetings dealing with significant Auckland issues.
"That will give Auckland, where a third of New Zealanders live, a direct voice around the cabinet table before a decision is made rather than simply imposing decisions made without adequate Auckland input," he said.
"Not the reported views of Aucklanders as interpreted by the Wellington bureaucrats, but the democratically elected mayor, directly influencing the big decisions on Auckland as they are made in cabinet."
Two bills to establish the supercity have already passed, the first covering the structure of the new council and the second the power and roles of the mayor, councillors and local board members.
The third bill -- to transfer Auckland's assets and liabilities to the new council, protect the interests of staff who move to it and give it the powers it needs to be up and running on November 1 -- is before a parliamentary select committee.
Mr Goff said Labour would review ward boundaries and talk to communities about whether single rather than multi member wards would better ensure all were fairly represented.
"We will restore to Auckland the power to make its own decisions about the structure and powers of the seven council-owned companies that will manage three-quarters of the rates revenue provided by Aucklanders," he said.
"Why shouldn't Auckland decide what goes into its council-controlled companies, and what stays out? That's what happens in every other city in New Zealand."
Mr Goff said he wanted Auckland to be a great place to live which offered a "brilliant lifestyle".
