Financial Review Debate — Ministry of Transport

First, I see we have the “old” Minister of Transport in the chair. The rumour was that he could not get out of the chair quickly enough, so I am quite pleased to see him sitting there; the perception we have in New Zealand First is that he passed his colleague a hospital pass.

Transport is not a sexy issue. Politically it is not sexy, but it is probably one of the most important portfolios in existence, particularly right now. Every mode of our transport has been faced with some sort of problem. We have had problems with Air New Zealand in terms of air traffic, we have had problems with Tranz Rail in terms of railways, we have had problems with trucks in terms of road transport—particularly in Auckland—and we have had problems with shipping. There has been a shipping review, and I am waiting—more so than anybody else—for the Minister of Transport to give me an answer that is not “Soon”, when I ask when he is going to implement some policy. Now, of course, he can say to his colleague: “Tell the member from New Zealand First who keeps showing an interest in shipping, ‘Soon’. That is all he needs to know.”

Our shipping industry is in dire straits. This is an island nation and 99 percent, on a tonnage basis, of our exports and imports come and go by ship. For us to have no ships running internationally, and a coastal shipping service that is falling apart, is an absolute disgrace. So I say to the Minister with some sincerity that he should make that “Soon” soon.

💬 Hon Paul Swain: Got the message.

The Minister in the chair has got the message. I want to spend part of my contribution tonight in talking about roading in this country. Transit says that its 10-year plan will cost something like $8 billion, as I recall, but Auckland says it needs $4 billion to $5 billion now. New Zealand First does not want to buy into the eastern highway debate, but through the Minister in the chair I will say to the Minister of Transport that we need an urgent injection of money into roading in this country. I do not subscribe one moment to the view of the Greens that if we have decent roads—roads that can do the job—we will get more and more traffic. That is a ridiculous argument in a country of 4 million people. We need roads to service our trucks, we need roads to service our private cars, and we need roads to service our public transport—particularly buses. Obviously, roads will not service the railways, although one has to admit that sometimes there is a little bit of concern at the way trains are reported to be running.

In Tauranga, late last year it was estimated, and figures were made public, that we needed $400 million to upgrade the roading network in that city. Earlier this year that $400 million became $700 million. If I were a betting man, I would say that roading costs in Tauranga will be $1 billion or more by the time we actually get around to doing something meaningful about it. We are talking big money.

New Zealand First believes, and we have believed for a long time, that the money the Government takes from the petrol motorist—that it siphons off into the consolidated account, the Crown account, or whatever the Government wants to call it—should go back into roading. The Minister is nodding; that is the first encouraging sign I have seen from this Government on this issue since I have been—

💬 Hon Harry Duynhoven: That’s not true.

Harry is a much more pragmatic person—

The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson): The member will use the Minister’s full name.

The Hon Harry Duynhoven is a very pragmatic person, and I know he shares the frustration I have—certainly, from time to time. Seriously, if right now we were given all the money the Government siphons off, I do not believe that that would do the job on its own. I believe we are getting very, very close now to having to borrow money to get our physical roading infrastructure up to scratch.

I want to take an opportunity to look at the transport area. It is really good that the previous Minister of Transport, the Hon Paul Swain, is the Minister in the chair, and I take the opportunity—as the member for Hamilton West, as a Waikato member of Parliament, and as a person who, as Deputy Mayor of Hamilton City a few years back, served on the regional land transport committee—to say that he and the Hon Mark Gosche have been two of the best transport Ministers we have had in this country.

💬 Peter Brown: What have they done?

Let me say what they have done, and in that member’s heart of hearts he will know it to be true. Through their leadership they have given us a real transport strategy, at long last. My frustration as a member of the Hamilton City Council regional land transport committee and as a former Deputy Mayor of Hamilton City—now the fourth largest population centre in New Zealand—was that we just wanted a comprehensive land transport strategy. Such a strategy is not about using public transport instead of the private motorcar, or cycling to work instead of driving to work. I know Mr Brown will agree with me that it is about an integrated transport strategy, and in his heart of hearts he knows this to be true.

It was absolutely wonderful when the report of that transport strategy was released in December 2002, with five clear objectives. Let me repeat them, because I think they need repeating. The first objective is assisting economic development, which is critically important for the Waikato region I represent. The second objective is assisting safety and personal security. We still have a horrendous road toll, but it is slowly, bit by bit, coming down, although it is still not as good as Scandinavia’s, or even that of some of the states in Australia. The third objective is improving access and mobility, which is a very important issue for our people. The fourth objective is protecting and promoting public health, and the final objective is ensuring environmental sustainability.

I also take the opportunity to wish the new Minister of Transport, the Hon Pete Hodgson, well. I look forward, as the member for Hamilton West, to working very, very closely with Pete Hodgson on an issue that I, as the local member, am passionate about. One of the key transport issues for my area is the ongoing progress of the Auckland to Cambridge expressway. The facts are there. After 4½ years of a Labour-led Government we are getting traction on the Auckland to Cambridge expressway. One needs only to drive from Hamilton to Auckland to see the earthworks and the progress on that. To that end, I do not think that the previous Minister of Transport, the Hon Paul Swain, will mind if I compliment the local staff of Transit New Zealand. In particular I single out Colin Knaggs, who is the senior officer of Transit in Hamilton. I believe he coined the term the “Waikato expressway”. I think it is pretty obvious in talking to the staff of Transit New Zealand—certainly in my area—that they share this vision of a comprehensive New Zealand transport strategy.

I also acknowledge that for the first time we are now getting traction on reducing traffic congestion in Auckland. We are getting traction on developing an integrated transport strategy in the nation’s largest city. Why does someone in the Waikato have a huge interest in Auckland sorting out its transport problems? I say with due humility what a shame it was that Greater Auckland did not listen to Sir Dove-Myer Robinson all those years ago, but at least now we are getting some momentum there. Quite frankly, if Auckland gets gridlocked and catches cold through transport gridlock, the Waikato economy catches cold, as well.

In terms of the road safety, roads are still a major killer in New Zealand compared with other countries. I listened with some interest earlier today to questions in the House to the Minister of Police about speeding tickets and speeding fines. Someone attempted to ask a question and initially the Speaker in his wisdom ruled it out of order, but upon reflection he allowed it. I believe it was from my good colleague Mahara Okeroa. It was a very insightful question that asked how people could stop receiving speeding fines. The answer is: do not speed—it is as simple as that. People should observe the rules of the road and save lives.

Report noted.

Crown Law Office