Hide response riles Pukekohe residents

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide is in trouble - this time for apparently contradicting himself at a public meeting in Pukekohe on the Super City.

Not only were people at Thursday's meeting livid over the lack of democracy to split Franklin between Auckland and Waikato, but organisers later claimed there were differences between what Mr Hide said and what he had earlier written publicly.

It came after a question from Tuakau resident Glen Peters to the minister about how much Treaty of Waitangi issues had affected the Cabinet's decision on the Franklin boundary.

Mr Hide said "not at all" and repeated that Treaty matters played no part in setting the boundary just south of Pukekohe.

Yesterday, meeting organisers dug out Cabinet papers and a press statement from Mr Hide in which he expressed "concerns about the proposed boundaries, particularly in terms of the impact on the Tainui Treaty settlement work programme".

On September 14, in a press statement about Cabinet decisions on the Super City, Mr Hide said the Franklin split "avoids complicating arrangements for co-management of the Waikato River, which are subject to the Waikato-Tainui Treaty of Waitangi settlement process".

Yesterday, Mr Hide said he had answered the question correctly because Waikato-Tainui Treaty issues were a consequence of the Cabinet decision, rather than a factor in the decision.

Asked why he had not made it clear to the meeting at Pukekohe that Treaty issues were a consequence of the Cabinet decision, Mr Hide said he had been told to give short answers.

WHAT THE MINISTER SAID

Pukekohe, Thursday night:
Question: "How much did Treaty issues affect Cabinet's decision-making with regard to Franklin?"
Hide: "No, not at all."

Cabinet paper, April 26:
Hide: "I have some concerns about the proposed boundaries, particularly in terms of the impact on the Tainui Treaty settlement work programme."

Press release, September 14:
Hide: "The current Franklin District will be split under our chosen option, just south of Pukekohe, with the rest going into the Waikato ... [This] avoids complicating arrangements for co-management of the Waikato River, which are subject to the ... Treaty of Waitangi settlement process."