DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT): Thank you, Mr Chair. I would like to make a couple of comments. One is to endorse what we're hearing from Jami-Lee Ross. Now, I know in the normal course of events we're supposed to have local democracy, and people are supposed to elect councillors to decide things, such as their rates. And yet it's always important to remember that the ability of councillors to set rates is set by Parliament and all of the rules within which they set them are set by Parliament. One reason why Parliament might intervene on rate setting right now through an amendment such as that of Jami-Lee Ross is that I believe there is an imbalance of power between the bureaucrats, or the civil servants, or the management of councils, and the elected councillors. 