Rutherford Tom; Tuiono TeanauTOM RUTHERFORD (National—Bay of Plenty): Thank you very much Mr Speaker. I just want to commend the previous member Arena Williams for her contribution both in the House and on the Transport and Infrastructure Committee amongst all the members that contributed on the select committee process that we have been on over the last couple of weeks. It was an interesting process no doubt. There were some decisions made and some challenges that we faced on the select committee but ultimately what we are reporting back to the House is a pragmatic approach: those that use it should pay for it.Now what we're talking about here are the contributions that people should make to the upkeep and maintenance of our roads in New Zealand. In the electorate that I'm fortunate enough to represent the Bay of Plenty without a doubt—without a doubt—putting the cost of living to the side for a moment the biggest issue facing the Bay of Plenty is transport. It's transport without a doubt. Let's have a look at it: two main State highways in our community that are fundamentally way behind where they should be in 2024. Start with State Highway 2 the Takitimu North Link. Stage 1 is currently being progressed. State Highway 2 Takitimu northern link—it's currently being progressed. That programme and that State highway was consented and ready to go in 2017. Cancelled delayed pared back by the previous Government—now being delivered by National. The second stage 2 will be as well—all the way through to Ōmokoroa servicing the community of the wider Bay of Plenty.The second is State Highway 29 over the Kaimai Ranges a really vital network that connects the city of Tauranga with the golden triangle of Waikato and Auckland. The reason I bring up those two key State highway networks in relation to this bill is that it is only fair that those people that use the roading network in New Zealand pay their fair share towards its upkeep and its maintenance. That's what this bill proposes to do. The Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill amends the road-user charges (RUC) regulations to add a new vehicle type PHEVs—plug-in hybrid electric vehicles—and amends the road-user charges rates regulations to apply a reduced rate of $38 per 1000 kilometres for plug-in hybrids. Had we done nothing come next week every single vehicle on the road would have paid the $76 dollars—$76 per 1000 kilometres. Simply kicking the can down the road on this issue wasn't feasible for us to do. On this side of the House rather than just talking about it we're actually going to action and deliver it.I would note some comments made both by the Minister of Transport and some of my colleagues around action that the previous Government took. In 2022 they looked into proposed options for the Government to look into what may be an equitable system to move forward with. They proposed at that time that plug-in hybrids pay a reduced RUC rate of 20 percent less than EVs. Yet after going out proposing that talking about it two years down the track nothing happened—nothing happened. They went out with a proposal of 20 percent reduced and then nothing. Radio silence. Absolute silence on the issue. And now they have the fortitude to front up and complain and say You're rushing us." Well let's just say you had two years where you proposed and talked about it and delivered absolutely zilch. Absolutely nothing.Sam Uffindell: It's trade mark.TOM RUTHERFORD: It's trade mark. It is trade mark Sam in the sense that talking about it is really good but the actual delivery is rubbish.So on this side we listened to the submissions that came through the select committee. It was great to do it with my colleagues across the House where we had some really robust and engaging discussions around the submissions we received. Now in that process we received 518 submissions from a variety of individuals organisations and different groups. And the vast majority of the submitters expressed a really clear sentiment that both EVs and plug-in hybrids should pay their fair share to the upkeep and maintenance of our roads. Submitters expressed support for several parts of the bill including the exclusion of light EVs a two-month transition period so people can get their vehicles up to scratch and the expanded definition of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).I want to highlight that part in particular because we haven't actually talked about that bit from any of our speakers so far. And what I'm getting at is firstly we're excluding light EVs so anything weighing 1 tonne or less which includes vehicles like electric motorcycles. The bill also includes an automatic exemption for all-terrain electric vehicles weighing 1 tonne or less. This acknowledges that electric ATVs weighing 3.5 tonnes or less are currently entitled to an exemption on application if they are used almost exclusively off road. Let's look at that differentiation there: off road versus on road and what's fair around the maintenance and upkeep and what they contribute. That's why we've talked about removing them and providing them the exemption.The bill also amends the definition of "ATVs" to include electric ATVs. Heavy EVs weighing more than 3.5 tonnes are exempt from RUCs until 31 December 2025. The reason I bring that up is it comes back to the crux of why we've proposed this bill and why the Minister's brought it to the House why we opened for the select committee process and why we're here now debating it at its second reading. And it simply is: if you use the roads you should pay your fair share to contribute to the upkeep and the maintenance of it.And the change that has been talked about by members opposite where we initially are consulted on $53 to 1000 kilometres and now we're back at $38 per 1000 kilometres is to seek the balance for the need for these vehicles to pay for their fair use of the road. And noting that plug-in hybrids have a reduced rate in a sense because they also pay the petrol excise and finding an equitable outcome is the only fair approach to take. The reduced RUC is also a temporary measure. We will be coming back in the future as highlighted by the Minister of Transport proposing the move for all vehicles to move to RUCs and moving them away from having excise tax on petrol to create an even more equitable system where we believe actually you use the road you should pay your fair share.Increased fuel efficiency of vehicles and the rise of electric vehicles has created variances in what motorists currently pay for the use of the road. This has meant that less fuel-efficient vehicles often owned by low-income households end up paying more in fuel excise duty than owners of later model more fuel-efficient vehicles. I see my colleague Minister Goldsmith who I know is eager to eat his dinner—eager to get out of his seat—Hon Chris Penk: He'd rather eat someone else's!TOM RUTHERFORD: Ha ha! I couldn't possibly repeat what was just said. But I just want to reiterate to the House that this has been a pragmatic outcome reached by the select committee and taken by the Minister that it is only fair that those who own plug-in hybrids pay a reduced rate of $38 per 1000 kilometres. And if you use the road then you should be paying for its upkeep and its maintenance. I commend the bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): Well it's kai time. The House is suspended for dinner and it will resume at 7.30.Sitting suspended from 6.01 p.m. to 7.30 p.m."