Bennett David: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBennett David: General Debate[Sitting date: 02 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19152. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]DAVID BENNETT (National - Hamilton East):It is a pleasure to take this call in the general debate. The members over there need to listen and learn what a good Government does for the country of New Zealand. This good Government delivered this weekend the infrastructure that our regions have been seeking. I see our regional members of Parliament here ranging from the great provinces of Taranaki and Waikato to the deep south which all benefit from these great proposals. They realise the importance of what was announced in the weekend for their communities and for our country going forward.Su’a William Sio: You’re only doing it because local government is starting to get angry with you.DAVID BENNETT: What? What did you say Mr Sio? No no—you have nothing to say. Those regions have been given $212 million for regional State highway projects. Let us list them. Let us see what they are. The five projects are the Kawarau Bridge in Otago—that is a great place is it not down there in Otago—the Bluff to Rough Creek realignment in Canterbury the curves realignment and passing lane in Northland the State Highway 35 slow vehicle bays in Gisborne and the Normanby Overbridge realignment in Taranaki. I am sure we are going to hear a bit more about that later on. Those five projects will be fully investigated and designed to address current safety and productivity issues. They are projects that will deliver great results for those regions in our country going forward.We have also committed to six other projects: one in the Manawatū-Wanganui area the Motu Bridge in Gisborne—Andrew Williams: You said that.DAVID BENNETT: No no this is a different bridge. This is a different one. This is a different bridge. There is also the Ōpawa to Wairua bridge replacements in Marlborough the Taramakau road-rail bridge in the West Coast the loop road in Northland and the Mount Messenger and Awakino Gorge corridor in Taranaki. That last one is really important for the regions of Waikato and Taranaki. It links both our strong agricultural and growing industrial regions together and is something I know that members from that region have advocated long and hard to see happen. I think it is a testament to the strength of those members and their work that we see the Mount Messenger and Awakino Gorge corridor in Taranaki come to life through this Government. This is good stuff.Then we have looked further into some projects that could be in the future and that is the Port of Napier access package the Nelson southern link and the Rotorua eastern arterial. These are roads that cover the breadth of New Zealand from the north to the south. They cover from the east to the west. They are the roads that link our country together and make it a stronger place to be. I think that is an important part for this country going forward when you look at the economic growth that has been experienced in New Zealand in recent years. Put on top of that the transport packages that you have seen announced for Auckland in the Budget—that strong transport package there. The large investments that we already make in local road maintenance are there. There are funds that are already there.Hon Tau Henare: That’s right.DAVID BENNETT: That is right Mr Henare. The Accelerated Regional Roading Package just announced is something we should take with great credit and great support going forward.The Labour Party the Green Party and New Zealand First cannot accept these projects. They simply cannot accept them and they will not support projects like these which are in the best interests of the regions going forward.Andrew Williams: What about the Gisborne rail line?DAVID BENNETT: You want to talk about the Gisborne rail line New Zealand First? Well let us see New Zealand First come out with the money. Have you promised that? No it will not promise it. It cannot promise it. It does not promise it. Labour over there has got a lot of hollow promises as well. But we all know that transport policy in the Opposition is dictated by one person and one person alone and that is Julie Anne Genter. There will be no transport policy coming out of the Labour Party or New Zealand First because Julie Anne Genter says what goes for the left. They will follow her and there will be no roading projects under the Labour-Greens Government if there ever was one.When we look at the Waikato for example it is crucial that we have these roading projects and the Waikato Expressway is a major project. I know that my good friend and colleague here Tim Macindoe and I are very pleased to see that National is committed to making that a reality unlike our Opposition.