GEORGINA BEYER (Labour-Wairarapa): I am very pleased to take a call on the Gisborne District Council (Alfred Cox Park) Validation Bill. The contribution from the previous member lacks all regard for the Gisborne District Council, and, obviously, its mayor and councillors, who have brought this matter to their local member, Janet Mackey, to bring to the House in the form of this bill. I might add that as the local member, Janet Mackey has taken the responsibility, as the local member should, of bringing this before the House.

The bill outlines the fact that there is great support from the public for leaving in place the information centre that is in question, rather than relocating it because of matters that have confined under the Reserves Act the use of this piece of land, which was donated by Alfred Cox to the good people of the Gisborne area. This is the kind of thing whereby politicians should listen to what local people desire, aspire, and wish to have in their communities, and it seems to be desirous that this particular information centre, in this particular matter, is left where it is. It seems sensible and it seems something that is wanted by the people of this area, and who are we in this House to deny that?

It is likely that the Local Government and Environment Committee, upon the success of this first reading, may be sent the bill for its consideration. I would like to highlight one of the stark contrasts between a Labour-led Government and a National-led Government. In fact, the member who resumed his seat before I was kindly given the call was a former Minister of Local Government. I have to say that his tenure was brief. There were about four or five Ministers of Local Government in his time in that particular term, and that showed just how much—or how little—regard that that particular National Government ever had for local government. In fact, great contempt comes to mind at the thought of how that party regards local government. As a former mayor and civic leader of a district—a little further away from Gisborne, I must admit, but, nevertheless, on the East Coast—I valued the input and the desires of our local communities, and me and my council listened and, for the most part, delivered, just like this Labour-led Government delivers. I would have to say that the local member, Janet Mackey, a Labour MP, is delivering on behalf of the Gisborne District Council in this particular matter.

So in supporting this bill I would say, "Good on Gisborne." Good on the people of Gisborne for deciding to make a decision for themselves, but they do need the assistance of Parliament in this particular matter because of the Reserves Act and the discrepancies between the contradictions that have been raised in here about what can and cannot or should or should not be cited on this particular piece of land, which was probably part of the deed that Mr Cox probably arranged at the time of the gifting of that land to the area.

In conclusion, the whole House should be supportive of this local bill, and should congratulate its local member and, of course, the Gisborne District Council on making its best efforts to provide this House with the relevant information and with something that is very simple and clear. I think it was a cheap shot from the previous member to make light of and to diminish the concern that that community has over this bill.