Gisborne mayor criticises ‘loosey-goosey’ bill on parliamentary term

Gisborne District Mayor Rehette Stoltz says a government bill making possible changes to the parliamentary term is not a permanent solution.

Gisborne District Mayor Rehette Stoltz says a bill that would allow incoming governments to extend the parliamentary term to four years, or alternatively retain a three-year term, is “loosey-goosey” and not a permanent solution.

Gisborne district councillors, at an extraordinary meeting last week, endorsed the council’s submission on the Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Act.

Councillors Teddy Thompson and Rhonda Tibble voted against supporting the parliamentary submission while Colin Alder abstained.

In its submission, the council calls for legislation to extend the local government term to four years, which, like any change to the parliamentary term, will also require a referendum.

“Council considers a longer term would promote longer-term thinking and decision-making by councils,” the submission says.

“The current three-year term can lead to a focus on short-term policies with immediately visible impacts.

“Less-frequent elections would reduce the disruption caused by election cycles.”

The submission also proposes an amendment to the coalition Government’s bill so that any change to a four-year parliamentary term (subject to referendum) is fixed at four years.

The bill will not introduce a permanent four-year parliamentary term, but will allow for an extended term after an election if an incoming government gives more power to opposition parties to chair select committees.

Stoltz said the possible variance in parliamentary terms “would screw all processes” if local government moved to a four-year term.

Councils, under a four-year term, would move to having four-year plans and there would no longer be a regular two-year gap between central and local government elections.

“I know, nationally, there are issues with the loosey-goosey nature of this,” Stoltz said.

Alder said three years was “a good, long time”.

Political parties needed to make bipartisan agreements on key infrastructural issues, he said. That was the key issue, regardless of whether it was every three or four years “when they start changing things”.

Thompson asked if it would be better to wait until after a referendum is held “to hear what the public thinks”.

The mayor said the Government was calling for public submissions similar to how council asked for public submissions from the Tairāwhiti community.

Cr Thompson said four years was “a big commitment”.

“I struggle to support the submission personally.”