Carter David: Motor Vehicle Sales Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Carter David: Motor Vehicle Sales Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:607;Page:4764] 
Hon DAVID CARTER (NZ National) 
: 
 The question I ask the Minister in the chair the Hon Margaret Wilson is whether she could answer the question raised by the Hon Paul Swain the Minister who is actually in charge of this legislation. The Hon Paul Swain interjected during Mr Peter Brown’s contribution and asked: “Is this better than what exists now?” One would think that the Minister in charge of the legislation would have bothered to get hold of his own officials and find out the answer to that question rather than expect a member of the Opposition to answer it for him. The Motor Vehicle Sales Bill is before the House we are just embarking on the Committee stage and the poor hapless Minister of Transport has to ask Peter Brown whether this bill will be better than what exists at present. I hope that Margaret Wilson will take a call and answer that question for the Hon Paul Swain. 
While she is on her feet I also hope that she will clarify clause 6—the Parekura Horomia clause as it has been named tonight—and the definition of actual distance. This legislation records that actual distance in relation to a motor vehicle odometer “means the distance that would otherwise have been recorded on an odometer had it not been tampered with”. Even Dr Cullen is now expressing amazement at that definition. My simple question to the Minister is: when one comes across a vehicle with a tampered odometer and one needs to determine the actual distance how does she propose to do that? I ask the Minister to spend a bit of time talking to the officials because I think that she will need a bit of time doing that. 
I then move to yet another definition and on this occasion I have to congratulate the select committee on the good work it has done. The definition of a new motor vehicle is as follows: “new motor vehicle means a motor vehicle that is not a used motor vehicle”. I think that is reasonable. I congratulate the select committee under the chairmanship of David Cunliffe on getting that one right. But another definition worries me and I am hoping that the Minister will help me with it. It is where we define a motor cycle. A motor cycle means “a motor vehicle running on 2 wheels”. That is quite serious because we have just had all these problems in relation to the boy racer bill. I ask Clayton Cosgrove what happens when a motor vehicle goes around a corner too fast and suddenly it is on two wheels? It is a motor cycle! 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: We’re OK! 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Clayton Cosgrove has answered that question so I do not need the Minister to answer it. Clayton Cosgrove has acknowledged that if a motor vehicle goes around a corner too fast and is on two wheels it becomes a motor cycle. But I have another definition that worries me from the Greens’ point of view. Again it is the definition of a motor vehicle: “motor vehicle—(a) means any of the following: (i) a road vehicle that is drawn or propelled by mechanical power”. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Solar power? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Exactly what about solar power electric power or wind-powered vehicles? We hear a lot from the Greens about the future of wind in energy. In future we might have vehicles with sails and all sorts of things. I am concerned about whether that issue has been addressed. 
John Carter 
: Horse power? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: No I do not think that we will head back to the days of horse power but it is a possibility with the Greens anywhere near the Government. I think that gives the Minister a certain number of questions— 
John Carter 
: You could thaw a lot of things out. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I will not comment on that interjection but I thank John Carter very much for his contribution. I ask the Minister to help us with those definitions. The ones we want clarification on are how actual distance will be estimated when an odometer has been tampered with and there is the issue of motor vehicle definition as well.