Bennett David: Road User Charges Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Bennett David: Road User Charges Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:656;Page:5488] 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
: 
 When we look at the Road User Charges Amendment Bill we see that Part 2 will amend the principal Act in regard to road-user charges. A number of speakers have touched on some of the history that went into the situation this bill tries to address. I think that the previous speaker Darien Fenton and also National member Paul Quinn pretty well summed it up in the sense that this is a bit of a historical legacy issue that comes from what happened last year. 
Last year the Minister at that time arbitrarily changed the road-user charges without giving the trucking fraternity enough notice. Its members were deeply aggrieved at that because they saw it as being an action of a Government that was heavy handed that did not take into account the nature of their business and that did not want to negotiate. They felt that it was a breach of trust by the previous Government so they created a great protest that went on throughout this country. Many many politicians got involved and some members would have seen themselves photographed in trucks as they protested against the previous Government’s arbitrary use of its power. In fact that Government took advantage of its power when the industry did not have the ability to respond. But industry members did respond in their own way of protesting as the previous member talked about. They protested in a way that was constructive and they worked to have a dialogue with the Government to produce what we have here today. 
But only National has actually implemented legislation and worked out a process for the future that will deliver a solution to this issue so that those in the industry can feel they will no longer be at the whim of Government decisions when they need some security in decision making. They need to know they have some time frames in which they can be advised of price increases and that they have some certainty that the Government will keep to its word and will deliver in a timely but effective manner. That is what the National Government does and is doing in this case. We are taking on board the concerns of the industry. We are working towards a solution that will be constructive for all parties involved so that it will negate the situation where there are protests. We will have a situation in fact where all parties can work together in the best interests of getting the right value for our road transport sector. 
The Road User Charges Amendment Bill has a very big significance for the trucking industry. It shows the industry that there is a Government that will not take such an industry at its peril and make willy-nilly decisions. It will be a Government that listens and that tries to give the industry time frames so that the industry can reflect the changes there may be in road-user charges. That is an important consequence and there is a brief Supplementary Order Paper in this area that basically clarifies a drafting issue. I think we need to give credit to Amy Adams who did a fine job in working out that potential drafting problem. I give credit to her because she stepped in at the select committee and made that change. 
 When we look at this legislation in its wider context we are looking at road-user charges but we have also debated the light electric motor vehicle portion of the bill for a significant period of time. This bill reflects a Government being willing to listen to those in the transport sector a Government wishing to show leadership in the transport sector and a Government having a good understanding of the transport sector. We can see that those things come through all the transport initiatives that this fine Minister in the chair the Hon Steven Joyce has undertaken. He is in direct contrast to previous Ministers who have not engaged with the industry with the sector or with the people who are on the ground and who know what is best for their industry. That point of difference has made the National Government and this Minister very successful in this portfolio.