Gallagher Martin: Financial Review Debate — Procedure In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Gallagher Martin: Financial Review Debate — Procedure In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:616;Page:11887] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 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? 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: 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.