1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,720 Speaker 1: Central local government angst continues this morning. We have any 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: report it's by the Institute of Economic Research that finds 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: millions of dollars of being imposed on councils for a 4 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: one size fits all approach. The organizations calling for unfunded 5 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: rules and responsibilities to end. The local government Minister Syming 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: and Brown is in chargeable this of course needs with us. 7 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: Good morning. Do they have a point? 8 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 2: I think in some areas they do. But the other 9 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 2: point I'd make is local government needs to do what 10 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:26,639 Speaker 2: or the central government has just done, which is go 11 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 2: line by line through their expenditure and find savings to 12 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 2: stop passing on such significant rate increases to rate pass 13 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 2: which is what we've seen this year. 14 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 1: And is that part of the problem. They've shut themselves 15 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:38,519 Speaker 1: on the foot and they don't actually have a leg 16 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: to stand on at the moment. 17 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 2: Well, the reality is on the same day that we 18 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 2: as a government are providing tax relief to New Zealanders, 19 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 2: local government New Zealanders coming out where the report yes 20 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 2: to some good points around the imposition of costs, but 21 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 2: they're still advocating for more speed, for more speed limit reductions. 22 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: They're still advocating for speed bumps, everywhere. They're still advocating 23 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 2: for the stiple lands everywhere, so they need to get 24 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 2: their priorities in order and core business and stop wasting money. 25 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: Is one of the points they make. In the previous 26 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: government they said change all the science for speeds and 27 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 1: stuff and now you're going backwards. So there's a bit 28 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: of back and forth depending on what central government of 29 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: the day does they incur cost Well, I. 30 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 2: Wrote to all councils just after the election. I said, 31 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 2: look we're going to change the rules so you know, 32 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 2: tie hoe on slowing people down. And some councils continue 33 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 2: to put speed limit reductions in place. That's a choice 34 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 2: they made. I made a reappier and look we're going 35 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 2: to make funding available through the Land Transport Fund the 36 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 2: support councils are to reverse those speedingments. Ultimately, we're afflicting 37 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: what New Zealand has voted for at the last election 38 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,040 Speaker 2: and delivering on our promises. 39 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: What about things like fins and their ability to set finds? 40 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: Is that fair or not? 41 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 2: I think there's a fair point in the end. I 42 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,559 Speaker 2: think is cost recovery for particularly some of the areas 43 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: around our local alcohol policies and rules having cost recovery 44 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 2: is an important principle. There's things we can look at 45 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 2: and I think there's some fear points raised in that report, 46 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 2: But I just bringing it back to this point. Local 47 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 2: government needs to do exactly what central government does has 48 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 2: just done, go line by line through expenditure, focusing on 49 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 2: the must have, not the nice to have, and cutting 50 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 2: out the waste. 51 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, what I find ironic is they can't get into 52 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: your face enough when it comes to money. But when 53 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: you did the maor reward thing which passed last night, 54 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 1: they said, leave us alone and let us do our 55 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: own things. So do they want you to leave you 56 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:19,359 Speaker 1: alone or get in your foe? Which is it? 57 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,679 Speaker 2: Well, they call themselves local government New Zealand, but I 58 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 2: think the most local form of local government is letting 59 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: local communities individuals make decisions through the ballot boxed. They 60 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 2: are opposed to that, and so they're opposed to actual 61 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 2: what we believe in is localism. And so they've literally 62 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 2: lost touch. I mean, Auckland's not a member christ Which 63 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: is not a member, A bunch of other councils have 64 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 2: left local government New Zealand. They've gone woke on a 65 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 2: number of issues. They actually need to reflect the priorities 66 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 2: of New Zealanders, focusing on core business rather than simply 67 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 2: just trying to advocate the left wing agenda of the 68 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 2: last government. 69 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: Well see Simming and Brown, who's the local Government? As 70 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: at the Transport Minister of course. 71 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 72 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: News Talks at B from six am weekdays, or follow 73 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.