King Annette: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
King Annette: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:648;Page:17496] 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 I will take just a brief call to answer some of the points that Maurice Williamson has just made. First of all he mentioned that under the road-user charges regime in the previous Act a month’s notice was given. It was changed in 2002. Who voted for it? The National Party voted for it. Every party in the House bar New Zealand First—in my memory—voted to make that change and that member has just stood up in this Chamber making it sound like the Labour Government made a change that National did not agree with. Well he voted for it. So there goes the first piece of evidence that one cannot trust what he is saying. 
Let me give members the second piece of evidence. When we had the estimates at the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee Mr Williamson came along armed with all sorts of information to have a king hit at the select committee. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: And you gave us 20 minutes. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Oh in fact I gave the member much more than that. The fact that the member knowing that I had a Cabinet committee meeting decided to make me wait outside for half an hour before I came into the select committee is not my fault. It is the member’s fault not mine. But let us get back to the next thing the member did. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Not true. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Oh that is the truth I say to Mr Williamson and the member has something different on the table. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: That’s not the truth. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: It is absolutely the truth and I would say to the Chair that the Chair would back up my comments. The member kept me waiting outside for half an hour when he had asked me to come at a certain time. I gave the member the time that I had before I had to go to a meeting. If the member does not want to respect the timetables that are given then that is the member’s business. 
At that meeting the member said that it was a disgrace and it was outrageous that the Half Moon Bay ferry is getting $126 subsidy per passenger. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: No I didn’t. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Oh yes the member did. I have it written down here. I quote what he said during the select committee meeting: “I was gobsmacked to find out the other day that the subsidy for the Half Moon Bay ferry is $126 per passenger trip—$126 just from Half Moon Bay around to the base!”. I say to Mr Williamson that that is what he said. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Then I said: “Is it correct?”. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The member said it as a statement. Let me tell the member that the subsidy is $4.14. That sort of over-the-top rubbish means that one cannot believe him as Minister of Transport. He was the laughing stock of New Zealand when he was the Minister of Transport. 
Let us take Mr Williamson’s comments on the road-user charges. This is what he said in his press release: “The increase is estimated to push up the cost of running a 20-tonne truck by more than $56000 a year.” That is what he said in his press statement. Well I am advised that in order for that to be possible and to meet the claim that the exaggerating Mr Williamson has made—I tell members to listen to this—the most common type of 20-tonne truck would need to travel at an average of 330 kilometres per hour 24 hours a day 365 days a year. To make that claim work I ask whether members know of any 20-tonne truck that can travel at 333 kilometres per hour 24 hours a day 365 days a year because to make that claim true that is what it would have to do. A lot of twaddle has been spoken by Mr Williamson. 
One of the things that Mr Williamson will face if National becomes the Government is the fact that he will not be the Minister of Transport. He will not be the Minister of Transport because his leader will not let him—and that is the talk around the transport sector. I hope that Mr Bennett is the spokesperson because at least he talks about more than just roads. If anyone remembers what Mr Williamson used to say when he was the Minister of Transport they will know that his only policy was to privatise our roads. That was his big policy. He probably had another one where he was going to phase in driving on the other side of the road as well but his big policy was to privatise New Zealand’s roads. Has he ever spoken about passenger transport? Has he ever talked about investment into transport? 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: This is supposed to be estimates. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Oh yes it is supposed to be about the estimates. The member has spent his time talking about road-user charges; so have I. He does not like it but I have told this Committee what a lot of twaddle the member speaks.