Debate on Crown Entities, Public Organisations, and State Enterprises — Transport Accident Investigation Commission

In the few minutes that I have, I wish to focus specifically on Transit New Zealand. The reason I do so is that it is the Crown entity responsible for the maintenance and construction of the New Zealand highway system. I have to say that back in 1999, Labour came into office with the promise of fixing New Zealand’s roads. I recall that Labour members went up and down the country saying that, and especially in Auckland they made that kind of boast. What is their record, after 5½ years?

Frankly, it is one of failure. The reason I say that is that in 2000 and 2001, expenditure actually went down. Transit ended up with hundreds of millions of dollars of unspent money in the bank, simply because the Government put everything on further review—the best single example being the North Shore bus lane. It was approved back in 1997, and finally started this year, with construction to be completed at the earliest in 2009. Think of that—a 12-year period to do a simple project!

Last year Transit issued a document, which I will seek leave to table later, that went to every single household in the Auckland region, called Getting Auckland Going. The information in this document caused that now infamous rift between the Northern Employers and Manufacturers Association, the Auckland chamber of commerce, the Minister, and Mike Williams. The reason is that this document is a bunch of lies. That is the truth of the matter. It lies from start to finish.

I want to produce this particular evidence. The document refers to 17 projects. I guess they got two of them right. Do members know why they got two of them right? Because the construction had been finished when the document was issued. So I guess when they said, in relation to the Puhinui interchange, that construction was complete, at least they could go down there, take a photograph, and say “Yes, that is complete.” They did the same also for another project, Grafton Gully, stages one and two—also complete. They got that part right. The rest of it was fundamentally untrue. In particular, and this is where Auckland feels so deeply let down, they went through a list of projects.

Construction on State Highway 18, the Hobsonville deviation, was to start in 2005. Bear in mind that this document went out in September 2004. It was issued by Transit, to every householder. Has construction started on State Highway 18? No. That was a lie in this document.

The construction of State Highway 20, the Mount Roskill extension, was to start, according to this document, in 2004. That is about 12 weeks after this document was issued. Has it even started yet? No.

So they could not predict even 12 weeks in front. That is just amazing. The next example is State Highway 20, Manukau extension: “construction starts 2005”. Has it started? No.

State Highway 1, new Waitemata crossing—“studies start in 2004”. Bear in mind that this document was issued in September 2004. They had to project forward only 12 weeks—just 12 weeks. Did they get that right? No. Has the project director started his work yet? No.

So that is the reason why Aucklanders feel so deeply disappointed. The truth is this. The only thing that one can now believe on whether construction has started is if one sees the bulldozers actually starting work. Anything else does not count. I read in the last week that State Highway 20, which, as I said, was to start last year, is to start in August. All I can say is that we will have to wait and see whether that is true.

The problem is this, and it comes back to governmental responsibility. Everyone in Auckland knows that our highways are clogged. Everyone in Auckland knows, in particular, that State Highway 20—the western ring route, which everyone acknowledges is absolutely crucial—has to be done to make Auckland’s traffic flow. The Government has said that, we have said that, and all Auckland mayors have said that.

When the Government’s road builder, Transit—under the authority of Ministers of Transport—says that the project will start, and it gives very clear dates just within 12 weeks, frankly people have relied on this document. The document was sent to every single household in Auckland—that is, 500,000 households—with the intention and expectation that people would rely on the document; that they would read it and believe it. In a sense, I guess that was part of the Government’s preconditioning for this election. Frankly, the Government has let Auckland down. Virtually every project that was predicted to start in 2004 and 2005 has not happened.

💬 Hon Parekura Horomia: Rubbish!

The Minister of Māori Affairs, who I guess thinks he knows Auckland well, says “Rubbish.” That speaks of his ignorance. If he had read this document he would be able to compare, just looking at the roads themselves, whether the roads were started on the days, months, or even the years stated in the document, and he would know that the answer was no. It is a judgment on the Government that members in Cabinet do not know whether their own proposals to fix Auckland’s roads have succeeded, or been started. In fact, that is an incredible indictment on that Cabinet. That it is so ignorant and has let Auckland down so badly, that it has deeply misled—

💬 Darren Hughes: Is the member’s tunnel part of National’s policy?

We support public-private partnerships, I say to the junior whip. National has a clear policy on fixing the roads. We are committed to spending all of the petrol tax on roads over the next 6 years. We have also said that we support public-private partnerships. Well-conceived projects like a second crossing ought to be put out to tender. Frankly, if we go by the situation in Sydney and Melbourne, they will come. It does not require any Government funding to do so, and that is the case in Sydney and Melbourne.

This Government, in its land transport legislation from last year, has let this country down disgracefully.

Sitting suspended from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. (Wednesday)