Government’s intent 'undemocratic'

Press, 19 February 1988, Page 7

Government’s intent 'undemocratic'

Political reporter The Opposition spokesman on local government, Mr Graeme Lee, has criticised the Government’s intentions regarding local authority reform.

He said that the discussion document asked proper questions but was part of a pre-determined plan that “had Treasury written all over it.”

Local government had not been asked whether the impending reform was warranted, and the Government’s real aim could be to break his own party’s vested interests at the local level, said Mr Lee.

He was referring to a comment made by the Prime Minister, Mr

Lange, in Parliament, on Tuesday: “This Government is going to disturb the vested interests of the National Party in local and regional government reform. We are going to attack those vested interests that the National Party always surrender to.”

Mr Lee said that this showed the Government’s aim was political control. The tight timetable for reform showed that the Government already knew what it wanted — super-large regional units which were likely to have responsibility for health, social welfare, education and even police, said Mr Lee.

He also said that the reform could only be in

place for the 1989 local body elections if democratic input was sidestepped, and the Local Government Commission became a Cabinet puppet. In the December 17 economic statement, the Government signalled its intention to make the commission’s reorganisations binding on local authorities.

This was almost certain to mean the abandonment of the system of surveys and polls which could now delay or veto reorganisation.

Mr Lee said the Opposition rejected both the basis and manner in which the Government “intends to carry out its undemocratic decimation of the present system.”