It's a thankless task. In fact, I've always said that being an MP is actually not as hard as being a local councillor. We have the benefit of collective caucus responsibility and we generally comply with it. I describe councillors as being like islands in an archipelago. They are out there all with their own franchise, keen to be re-elected it that's their wish, and it's a bit like herding cats if one is the mayor or even the chief executive officer, as is the case down my way, and it is also thankless. When we get to select committee and we have people submitting, particularly for the first time, I always think they look a little bit wide-eyed, a bit overwhelmed by the fact that they're in this great place and they're submitting to MPs; the same respect isn't given to local councillors, in my experience. When I go to planning meetings or resource consent hearings, actually, it's pretty disrespectful, I have to say, what I've seen, and I think anybody who puts themselves up for a local office, even as a community board member or as a local councillor or a regional councillor, has my admiration. 