Heather du Plessis-Allan

Yes.

So this is a specific board set up for Auckland Council.

Short answer is that for the independent Māori statutory board, those members will only be able to vote on council committees where the law specifically enables it.

And what that means is that that committee is set up under a different act.

So they retain their voting rights?

If it's related to the specific Act, so it relates to where they're doing the management of natural and physical resources, if they're on a subcommittee doing that, then they're able to vote.

Anything else, they're not able to.

ECAN is a different setup.

If they're a committee which isn't set up under a treaty settlement, then they won't be able to have voting rights.

That's correct.

Some committees are created under the Treaty of Waitangi Settlements, and there are emergency management committees under the Civil Defense Act.

The only changes that I'm able to make is in relation to the bill that I have on the table at the moment in the House, right here, right now.

Look, the reality is, Heather, that I am going into next period and next term of government.

I'm open to having a look at pretty much any of these gaps, but there are a number of areas which I haven't been able to change because they don't either sit in my legislation.

But, you know, the reality is, is that we've had some pretty strong feedback across the country and rightly so.

Because the changes will involve and could involve multiple acts, and it could be five or six different.

That's a really big piece of work.

Okay, not enough time, basically.

We haven't got much runway left of this year, and I've got to be realistic.

This problem's been around for a long time.