1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: The old four year term debate is back. The government 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: is part of the coalition deals introducing legislation. So if 3 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: that's passed, we'll then go to a binding referendum, which 4 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: we haven't had before in this country. So what chance 5 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:11,239 Speaker 1: it passes? And if it does, what would it mean 6 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: for local government? Local government? New Zealand presidents in Broughton's 7 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: with a Sam very good morning to you. Now, I 8 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 1: know you guys want four years. Does it have to 9 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 1: dubtail though? I mean, does it? Can't we do an 10 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: Australian you know, like federal and state? 11 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, it makes sense to do it together. I think 12 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 2: the three year term that we've got at the moment 13 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 2: means we've got a year of disruption as we get 14 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: into an election, we have a year of settling after 15 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 2: an election, and then we have one good year of 16 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 2: doing work. So I think we'd probably double the productivity 17 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 2: of both central and local government with a four year 18 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: term for both. 19 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: We have voted on this before and we've rejected it. 20 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: Is there anything to indicate that if we did vote 21 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: again it would be any different? 22 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 2: Yeah, We've done some research which actually there was good 23 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 2: support for local government to transition to a four year 24 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 2: term and even more supportive of the government itself moved 25 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 2: to a four year term as well. So I think 26 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 2: icans matured from the views that we might have had 27 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 2: twenty or thirty years ago. And yeah, look forward to 28 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: having a referendum, having the discussion if we move for 29 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 2: central government, we do need to move the local government too. 30 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: You can't. You can't argue with democracy if we vote 31 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: and we vote. But having said that, see I mean 32 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: the ultimate argument though is look to the Wellington City Council. 33 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: They're incompetent. Would you want four years of them? Look 34 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: to a really good council, you would want four years 35 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:21,639 Speaker 1: of them. So how do you square that circle? 36 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 2: I think part of that's making sure we've got the 37 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 2: best people in that community stand in for council and 38 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 2: we get more people engaged in voting if you know 39 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 2: that it's going to be there for four years and 40 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 2: we need to see a greater voter turnout and people 41 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 2: taking local government elections a bit more seriously. I think 42 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 2: you're right. We do want to see people a good 43 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 2: and a good government and for four years or more, 44 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 2: and that's you you'ret a best case scenario, not just 45 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 2: always beg yourself to get it wrong, and then we 46 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 2: set ourselves up to fail all the time. 47 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: Couple of things. While I got you, do you know 48 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: the Ara part of Reuben's story out of Ashburton? 49 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 2: No, I don't say. Right. 50 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: So he's on the fame d ash Burton District Council 51 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: Water Committee. He doesn't turn up to any of the 52 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: meeting and he still gets paid money and nobody's going 53 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: to do anything about it. 54 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 2: What's that about the Canterbury water management strategy. I think 55 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 2: that's what you're you're talking about here. We have the 56 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 2: zone committees the aarently in and they're in a review 57 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 2: state at the moment, so the local councils and Eken 58 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 2: are working through what the future of his zone committee 59 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 2: should be. Some love the way that things are at 60 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 2: the moment, and others are looking to differ. 61 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: That's the reason they're giving for paying this guy eight 62 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: thousand dollars for not doing anything. Is paying people eight 63 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: thousand dollars not to do anything acceptable to local government 64 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: New Zealand. 65 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 2: I don't know the situation, Michael. 66 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: I've I've just told that situation. He doesn't turn up 67 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: and he gets paid not to turn up. 68 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 2: I think we expect to pay people to do a 69 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 2: job currently. 70 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: So yeah, and the other one we've got this morning 71 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: is Horror Fanuid. Do you know about the Horror Fanua 72 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: situation with the bloke in Scotland? 73 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 2: No, I don't say. 74 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: Okay, so he's a local councilor, he's been elected and 75 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: he's he's not turning up anymore because he's moved to Scotland, 76 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: but he argues he can be a good local counsellor 77 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: and Horror Fanua from Scotland, do you reckon that's acceptable? 78 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 2: I think we need some greater accountability around what we 79 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 2: expect from our elected members and us pleased to hear 80 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 2: the government talk about a code of conduct review that's 81 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 2: part of it. But yeah, I think we're elected to 82 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 2: local government. You expected to turn up and have you 83 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 2: say and be a part of a democracy. 84 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 1: Glad to hear it. Samy, you have a good week 85 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: in Sam Broughton, who's the local government president. 86 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 87 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 2: news Talks. 88 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,239 Speaker 1: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 89 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.