Auchinvole Chris: Land Transport Management Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Auchinvole Chris: Land Transport Management Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 11 September 2012. Volume:683;Page:5113. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National) 
: 
 What a pleasure it is on this occasion to follow Brendan Horan. He has asked some questions. He nearly redeemed himself—nearly redeemed himself—by saying that there were two points that New Zealand First would support in the Land Transport Management Amendment Bill. He got one out but could not bring himself to say the other. He could not bring himself to say the other so I will have to canvass a few just to see whether these are what he would have supported. We are not doing just roads; we have invested $4.6 billion in a 10-year KiwiRail Turnaround Plan— 
Simon O’Connor 
: How much? 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: —including $250 million—$4.6 billion billion with a “b”—over 2012-13. We have committed $1.6 billion to improve and electrify Auckland’s rail system and invested—wait for it—$500 million to upgrade Wellington’s rail. We are already working well. 
Why we are asked by Mr Horan is National doing this? It is because National is committed to building a more competitive and productive economy and we must get the infrastructure right. We are building a better transport system which is vital in order to transform New Zealand’s future and to create more jobs with higher incomes. We are committed to simplifying and to modernising New Zealand’s transport system so that it is efficient cost-effective and fair for all users. I ask you if this were an election year would these be things that New Zealand First said it would espouse? Yes. Yes they are in keeping with its policy. I cannot see where Mr Horan’s objections are coming from. And the suggestion that somewhere behind it all there is a conspiracy does not quite ring true. It does not quite ring true. 
Let us just reflect on how well we have done with our infrastructure. I think back to our forebears our predecessors. I remember Mr Holyoake saying—I am sure it shows what age I am I suppose—that we would have a road to within 5 miles of every primary producer. I used to go for a haircut 30 miles into Hokianga on a metal road—not much fun. We should enjoy what we have got in terms of good roading. New Zealand has done remarkably well. I believe and I stand to be corrected that in terms of mileage we have more sealed roads than Japan—certainly more per head of population. 
New Zealand has done very very well with its infrastructure. This bill will improve things even further. It seeks to deal with what is an important issue for all communities ensuring that our transport system is efficient cost-effective and fair for all users. I remember Mr Anderton finding to his horror that there were insufficient roads in Gisborne to get the timber to the mill. We need— 
Brendan Horan 
: There’s insufficient rail in Gisborne thanks to the National Government. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Well we have heard about rail. We heard a very very lucid piece from the chairman of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee Mr David Bennett who spoke— 
Phil Twyford 
: I wouldn’t call that lucid. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Well it was lucid actually. 
Phil Twyford 
: I think you mean loose. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: No no no it was lucid. He really got it together and he gave us the figures. He told us what was happening. Rail has a way to go. Well I believe in rail. The West Coast needs rail very much indeed such as the Midland Line for taking the coal out. But it is a bit disturbing to find that it does not actually make much money on the job. 
Phil Twyford 
: Talk about the bill Chris. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Well we will talk about the bill and I am glad—I am glad—that there is such a demand to hear about it. The bill will require improvements to central government’s planning and funding framework for land transport activity as well as changes to streamline the assessment of toll road schemes and the creation of a new policy framework for building long-term partnerships between regional councils and public transport operators and the public-private partnership system which the previous speaker had such a fear of. This bill handily covers those particular things.  
The bill shows this Government’s commitment to getting the best value for dollar and to removing ridiculous duplication which has been allowed to clog the arteries of public transport. I support this bill and I want to leave room for other National speakers to be able to speak about it. So I will close by saying that I am supporting the bill because I believe it to be noble of intent forward of thinking and realistic in its goal seeking. Its goal is to ensure that the people of this nation get the best services. Thank you.