Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:632;Page:4061] 
4.  
DARREN HUGHES (Labour—Otaki) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: What are the key features of the Government’s land transport programme announced yesterday? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister of Transport 
: The published National Land Transport Programme for 2006-07 includes a record $24 billion in spending for land transport infrastructure and services over the next 10 years—$2.3 billion for 2006-07 alone. This represents a 14 percent increase on last year and includes Crown and regionally distributed funds. 
Darren Hughes 
: Has the Minister seen any reports of changes to priorities in the Wellington region particularly in relation to Transmission Gully motorway? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Yes I am pleased to report that Transmission Gully now has a high priority for funding and action. I wish to congratulate the MPs for Otaki Mana and Ohariu-Belmont on their efforts in securing this. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Can the Minister confirm that the confidence and supply agreement with United Future enabled the Government to set aside the funding in the Budget which has in turn enabled Transit to elevate Transmission Gully to the top of its Wellington priorities? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Yes and of course had the alternative Government been in power that money would now no longer be available because it would have been given away in tax cuts on 1 April. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Does the Minister therefore consider the comment by a senior Wellington regional councillor earlier this week that a decision on Transmission Gully is at least 5 years away to be consistent with both the spirit of that confidence and supply agreement and with yesterday’s announcement by Transit? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: No I do not. I would hope that we could complete the investigation work as quickly as possible to make a final go / no-go decision in relation to Transmission Gully. 
Dave Hereora 
: What elements of the Government’s land transport package announced yesterday will contribute to economic transformation in the Auckland region? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: There is one major element in yesterday’s announcement and an associated element. Obviously yesterday’s announcements mean we are picking up the Auckland network provision construction and that is crucial. An associated matter of course because it is no longer part of this particular vote is that massive expenditure is going into the Auckland rail system over the next 2 or 3 years in view of the double tracking of the western line in particular. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: How will the Minister explain to passengers crammed into insufficient dilapidated full trains and buses that in these days of accelerated climate change and rising petrol prices she is spending only 14 percent of the total money on passenger transport and how long will the Government hide behind the mantra that it is spending more now than the pathetic amounts that National used to spend? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I think the increase is something like eightfold and in 2006-07 we are spending $300 million on passenger transport. What is more to a very substantial extent that is demand-driven so that if the private owners of those trains and buses—certainly the buses are privately owned—care to buy more buses and put on more routes then the Government will find itself almost certainly funding a greater degree of support for those services. But it is not our job to buy the buses for them as well.