The Muster- Joseph Mooney: Council Amalgamations

MP for Southland Joseph Mooney says the council amalgamation process is one that is going to happen quickly.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Joseph Mooney is MP for Southland and joins us on
the muster on this pretty pleasant afternoon in the Deep South. Joseph,
good afternoon.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Good afternoon, and yeah, it's pretty fantastic. Where really is
it for winter? It's almost spring and I think he's
got a snow for gast be honest.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Way later in the week, Joseph a lot of talk
at the moment. John Peboten touched on her briefly before
around council amalgamations. Well, is there an actual government preference
government preference around this or is it a case of
every region is different. There's so much to decipher. It's
a region by region scenario.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah, there's there's a reason by regent scenario. And the
government has invited expressions of interest and proposals from regions
and I genuinely want to hear from what they think
would be the best option. You know, we had Minister
sign Watts, myself and Penny Fillins his chairs and CEOs

(01:01):
and the mccargill about two months ago and Minister Watt's
made it really clear that there's no hard and fast
expectation or requirements, but really want to hear from regions.
What they think the best option option would be and
really really invited some innovation and thinking about what you know,

(01:26):
people or what regions think is going to be the
best for the area. So it's an opportunity South, and
I know the sort of you know, he's spent a
little bit of what he's been quite a bit of
discussion to be fair.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Jose if you hear me straight off the bat though,
difference of opinions with the mayors in the South. So
how will this work?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, well, it's it's it's ultimately up to them to
have those discussions with each other and work their communities.
It's no requirement for them to put a proposal forward,
but obviously it would be good if they did try
to help shape the thinking about what would be good
for the South. And you know, ultimately, how do we

(02:07):
get that balance between we want to reduce the costs
of delivery and we want to ensure these good representation
and strong representation of all communities across the region. And
so that's what would be you know, I'm hopeful that
they can work those things through with each other. And

(02:28):
you know, ultimately, because of the changes of the RMA
count that are coming and the fact that regional councils, well,
we're just established. It does require a rethink about governance
and about local government. So you know, they will necessarily
be the need for a reorganization of local government. But
the government generally genuinely wants to hear from local regions

(02:51):
about what they need to see.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
Is it realistic to expect all the councilors will be
singing on the same handsheet when it comes to decision.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
Day, But there's there's no expectation that they're going to
be on the same hamsheet that you know, it would
be great if you can put forward some proposals and
it doesn't have to be a single proposal, but it
would be great if they can put forward some proposals
that the you know, the government can look at and
work with. And you know, this is this is obviously

(03:21):
only the beginning. This not not expecting everything to be
worked out initially, but if there can be some some
like broad strokes in terms of what regions would like
to see, that's where the government's keen to hear from.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
Now. Mike Smith, he's an he's an activist, let's be honest.
He's been wanting to take von terra to court. But
there's been changes around this now, so this I suppose
it sounds like a positive outcome for industries.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yeah, it is, yep. No. A bit over a year ago,
I read through the Court of Appeal in the Supreme
Court decision and Mike Smith's case again from here and others,
and noticed that the Court of Appeal has said that
it was a matter that was too complicated and complex

(04:09):
for the courts to deal with. It was something that
needed to be dealt with by government because it involves
so many sort of policy decisions, so many potential costs triggers,
and a lot of different international agreements. As I was
just too complex for the courts to deal with. The
Supreme Court took a different view, and they said because
pardon hadn't explicitly ruled out, Mike Smith proposed taught that

(04:35):
he wanted the courts to try to make that he
could go ahead and have a crack at it in court.
But it's a pretty significant potential, taught. He is trying
to make individuals and companies liable for their emissions back
to two thousand and seven, and that created an enormous
potential uncertainty and would have meant potentially that, according to

(04:59):
the Supreme Court, anyone who wasn't a well rephrase that.
The Preme Court said that everyone could potentially be caught
by this unless they were an individual driving their car,
cooking their food, or warming their house. Otherwise everyone else
could potentially be caught by it, but there was a

(05:20):
matter to be determined through litigation down the track. So
I thought this was just not a good outcome, and
so I wrote a bill to roll that out as
an option, and the government picked up that proposal and
made of the government bill in the last few months
and that's been working its way through the Sleek Committee.

(05:41):
Last week.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
Southern Jersey on today or Tiger Tiger got the chocolates
in the preseason game on Friday. You should go and
approach the Ragby unions and get a dual jersey made.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
You know that actually a really good idea. I think
I should think I should have one split perfectly down
the middle.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
Oh, you can just swear and Jersey full stop win
in South and we are South of Tiger Jee, No, no, no, no,
you were a South in Jersey. It's Maroon for life.
You know that?

Speaker 2 (06:10):
Well? I do love southand.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
Good on your mate and enjoy the week.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
God you mate.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
Cheers Jason Mooney, MP for Southland and divided loyalties when
it comes to the MPC getting underway into next week
actually Ben Dooley's up next and before the end of
the year at Tim Sentz and talking about five FO
and Jason Pine out of news dogs.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
Here b