The newest and youngest Member of Parliament, the Green Party's Gareth Hughes, is joining the fight against proposals to introduce charges on some books at Tauranga Library.
Gareth entered Parliament in February when former Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons resigned.
Gareth Hughes is currently the youngest MP and was in Tauranga on Thursday to join the fight against proposed charges for some library books.
The 28 year old is the Green Party's libraries spokesperson and was in Tauranga on Thursday to offer his support to those fighting the proposed library charges.
He says libraries are a core service, funded from a core budget, and should be "untouchable".
Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby says the option is being explored because council wants to reduce ratepayer contributions to the library from 90 per cent to 80 per cent over the next five years.
"It's a bit like burning the furniture to keep yourself warm," says Gareth.
He also met with Vanessa Byrnes, the Tauranga woman leading the Save Our Library campaign.
He told Vanessa he would use his position in Parliament to ask Local Government Minister Rodney Hide about the issue.
"It's an important debate we are facing. It's an attack by right-wing ideology."
"This is a battle that's part of a war being fought across the country."



2 comments
Get away with ya
Posted on 16-04-2010 16:52 | By Pat
Did this rooster get 1 vote or is he the ringin after Sue Bradford quit??? Lets all tell this fella to get the hell outa Dodge This isnt his fight and he shouldnt start telling us what to do .Until at least him Mum votes for him in an election eh
Library salaries like MPs, untouchable
Posted on 16-04-2010 20:30 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
Perhaps Gareth could climb out of his ivory tower and try and exist on a normal salary, instead of $140,000 plus plus plus. This whole debate is about actual users being asked to pay a tiny bit more of the cost of libraries than they do now, not the whole cost, not even half the cost, or 60% or even 70%. But 20%. The ratepayer will still pick up 80% of library costs. I would love a librarians or Mps salary. Then I could easily pay the rates for a so-called free library
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