John MacDonald: Why the PM shouldn't be giving councils a ticking-off

If we thought the last government was a bunch of control freaks, the current one’s just as bad, isn’t it? 

That's what I’m thinking with all this talk from the Prime Minister, telling local councils that ratepayers are sick of white elephants, that they need to focus on the basics like collecting the rubbish, fixing the pipes and filling-in potholes, and to stop blowing money on fantasy projects. 

The thing for me is that —even though there are a truckload of things I see the Christchurch City Council doing, for example, that I question big-time in terms of blowing ratepayer money— I don’t think it is the place of central government to tell them to pull their heads in. 

That’s our job. If we want to, we can turn up at council meetings and do one of those deputation things. Where you get a few minutes to say your piece to all the councillors around the council table. 

And the ultimate way we can make it very clear whether we approve of the way they’re running things, or not, comes every three years at the local body elections. Which is exactly what the central government politicians tell us if we don’t like what they’re doing. 

I remember Christopher Luxon himself saying, not that long ago, that if the Government’s fast track legislation led to some sort of environmental disaster, then people could punish them for it at the next election. 

But when it comes to local government the Government’s attitude is very different. And yesterday, the Prime Minister told local councils that when it comes to spending money - the party is over. 

Here’s a little bit of what Christopher Luxon said to councils yesterday: 

“Ratepayers expect local government to do the basics and to do the basics brilliantly. Pick up the rubbish. Fix the pipes. Fill in potholes. And more generally, maintain local assets quickly, carefully, and cost effectively. 

“But nothing in life is free, and ratepayers expect to pay for it in exchange. But what they don’t expect to pay for is the laundry-list of distractions and experiments that are plaguing council balance sheets across the country. 

“Ratepayers are sick of the white elephants and non-delivery. So, my challenge to all of you is to rein-in the fantasies and to get back to delivering the basics brilliantly.” 

Which, from the reports I’ve seen, generally went down like a cup of the old proverbial with the mayors and councillors in the room. 

And it wasn’t all just talk and bluster either. The Prime Minister also announced what the Government wants to try and do to get councils under control. 

It’s looking into performance benchmarks for local councils. It’s looking at how councils might be stopped from spending money on what the Government considers to be “nice-to-haves”.  

It’s going to look at transparency and accountability rules to make it easier for councillors to request information from council staff. And it wants to reform the code of conduct process to balance councillors’ freedom of speech rights with what it calls “politicised” code of conduct investigations. 

But, even though I agree that local councils need to up their game, I don’t like the Government poking its nose in like this. 

For a government that banged-on pre-election about keeping things under local control, it’s not really walking the talk, is it? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
If we thought the last government were a bunch of
control freaks, you know, if we thought that, well, I'll
tell you what. The current one's just as bad, aren't they.
That's what I'm thinking with all this talk yesterday from
the Prime Minister telling local councils that rape pars are
sick of white elephants. I need to focus on the basics,
like collecting the rubbish, fixing the pipes and filling in potholes,

(00:33):
and to stop blowing money on fantasy projects. Talk about
maybe misreading the room a little bit because the room
he was in when he said all this was at
a conference center in Wellington where local Government New Zealand
was having a big get together. Maybe you think it
was a perfect opportunity for Willing to tell all those

(00:53):
local councils to be more respectful of rate pay money.
Thing is is that even though there are a truckload
of things that I see the christ City Council doing,
for example, that I question big time in terms of
spending rate payer money. Even though I'm as aware as
the next person that christis council and every other councilor

(01:16):
are very highly qualified in the art of blowing public money.
I still don't think it's a place of central government
to tell them to pull their heads in. That's our job.
We do that, and we do it in different ways.
For starters, we do it here on a pretty regular basis,
and we know that councilors from all the local councils

(01:37):
and the Greater Christian ch area chun in at various times.
So this is one way we tell them what we
think about what they're up to. What are other ways
if we want to, We can turn up at council
meetings and do one of those deputation things, you know,
where you get a few minutes to say your peace
to all the councilors around the council table. And the
ultimate way we can make it very clear whether we

(01:57):
approve of the way they're running things or not comes
every three years at the local body elections, which is
exactly what the central government politicians tell us if we
don't like what they're doing. I remember Christoph Luxon saying
not that long ago that if the government's passed track
legislation led to some sort of environmental disaster, then people
could partners them for to the next election. They I'll

(02:19):
just vote us out, vote us out if you know it.
But when it comes to local government, central government's attitude
seems to be very different. And yesterday the Prime Minister
told the local councils, so when it comes to spending money,
the party is over. There's a little bit of what
Crystal Luxeon said to councils yesterday. Quote rate payers expect
local government to do the basics, and to do the

(02:41):
basics brilliantly, pick up the rubbish, fixer pipes, fill and
potholes and more generally maintained local assets quickly, carefully and
cost effectively. The Prime Minister went on to say, but
nothing in life is free, and rate payers expect to
pay for it in exchange. But what they don't expect
to pay for is the laundry list of distractions and

(03:01):
experiments that are plaguing council balance sheets across the country.
He said, rate payers are sick of the white elephants
and non delivery. So my challenge to all of you
is to rain in the fantasies and to get back
to delivering the basics brilliantly. End of quote, which on
the basis of the reports I've seen, generally went down

(03:21):
like a cup of the old proverbial with the mayors
and the councilors in the room. And it wasn't all
just talk and bluster either. The Prime Minister he also
announced what the government wants to try and do to
get councils under control. It's looking into performance benchmarks for
local councils that's right up the street. It's looking at
how counsels might be stopped from spending money on what
the government considers to be nice to haves. The government's

(03:43):
going to look at transparency and accountability rules to make
it easier for counselors to request information from council staff.
And it also wants to reform the Code of Conduct
process to ensure that counselors have you freedom of speech
rights without getting caught up in what the government calls
politicized Code of Conduct investigations. Now, if I was prone
to exaggerate, if I was prone to exaggerate, I would

(04:07):
describe this as a hostile takeover, as I say in
the corporate world. But I'm not going to go that far.
But I certainly think that even though I agree that
local councils need to up their game. I don't like
the government poking its nose in like this now. For
a government that banged on pre election about keeping things
under local control, it's not really walking the talk as it.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
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