Spat over Maori seats reflects badly on select committee process

Let's not be too hasty in our praise for Act leader Rodney Hide in standing by his principles over Maori seats on the Auckland super-council.

Yes, he acknowledged last week he would rather resign than shepherd a bill through its remaining stages that contained such a provision. And the candour is refreshing as the Weekend Herald editorial pointed out.

But he was forced to reveal the resignation threat in the face of more serious (and untrue) claims by National MP Tau Henare that Hide had threatened to pull down the Government over it.

The whole episode reflects badly on the select committee process, at least Hide's professed faith in it.

Both Hide and Prime Minister John Key put a lot of store publicly in public submissions and the select committee process when faced with questions as to why they had disregarded the Royal Commission recommendations and made no provision for Maori representation in the bill before Parliament on Auckland governance.

"I have faith in parliamentary democracy and the select committee process," Hide told Parliament on May 26.

"I have made it plain what my views are, but ultimately the decision will be made by Parliament."

Hide's faith must have been that the select committee would agree with him, not the implication that he would accept the select committee after listening.

Hansard shows Parekura Horomia responding to Hide: "It's a jack-up!"

Maybe Parekura was right and if not a jack-up, then it is clear now that there was no intention by Hide to take any notice of submissions to the select committee.

Only a week after pledging his faith in the select committee, Hide was telling Key on June 3 that he would resign over any Maori seats on the proposed Auckland Council.

The select committee had not even received submissions by then.

The special select committee on Auckland governance legislation had met only once and decided to elect a chairman (John Carter and deputy Tau Henare) and to set a closing date for submissions on June 26. The committee held its first hearing on July 8.

Hide has given Prime Minister John Key several potential problems to deal with as he returns to domestic problems after a week of the high life in Australia.

The biggest is what to do about Maori representation on the Auckland Council as the select committee prepares to report back to Parliament by September 4.

The Weekend Herald editorial suggests Key should just accept Hide's resignation as Local Government Minister and get on with finding a solution that includes Maori representation on the council.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Key has had two months since Hide privately levelled with him to show some leadership on the issue but hasn't.

In the meantime he has readily allowed the National Party caucus to endorse the select committee sticking with the original cabinet decision of no Maori seats.

Doing nothing maybe a short-term answer for Key but it is not a longterm solution for New Zealand.

- Audrey Young