Adams Paul: Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
Adams Paul: Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:618;Page:14055] 
PAUL ADAMS (United Future) 
: 
 I rise on behalf of United Future to speak on the third reading of this bill which we are very pleased to support. It has indeed been an interesting debate as we have been through the Committee stage and other stages. It has been fascinating to see the two parties that are not supporting this bill the first being the National Party. I think all Aucklanders need to understand that neither the National Party nor ACT has chosen to support this bill which is primarily about addressing the transport problems in Auckland. 
It has been interesting to listen to the concerns of those who do not support this bill. The Hon Maurice Williamson has been very vocal against this bill and has tended to fascinate me. Let us pick up just one point he made. He pointed out that $250 million is unspent. I believe that the years when we just spent the budget because the money was there have gone. I believe we need to be wise when spending our money. In the  
Dominion Post  
this morning we saw a wonderful full-page advertisement from the National Party. Was that advertisement placed because we are at the end of the financial year and the money was in the budget therefore National spends it? We could have been given the information in black and white but unfortunately that would have been too cheap. That was not expensive enough to use up all the budget—they had to add colour to the advertisement. That was not to give any more information to the public—no no; no more information was required—but they had to go for colour for the mere fact it used up the budget. I have been waiting to hear from National when its members have been speaking what its brilliant alternative to this would be. I have heard many criticisms about this being another bureaucracy whereas in actual fact the number of organisations involved has been reduced. So I see less bureaucracy. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: It’s not. 
PAUL ADAMS 
: The Hon Maurice Williamson who has been very vocal here—he is trying to interject as I speak—has had one major concern. He has continually pointed out the fact that in Auckland he can see no bulldozers. Well poor Maurice Williamson! Obviously it is something from his past when he thought that there has to be a bulldozer to get progress. He has been extremely concerned that he has been travelling on the roads of Auckland and up till now he has seen no bulldozers. I tell the member that unfortunately the roadworks being done at present do not require bulldozers but if he looks carefully he will see diggers working. A digger is not a bulldozer and I appreciate that the member might have a fascination for a bulldozer but there are diggers working up there. There are Kangos working there there are lots of noises and there is lots of action going on as the roads are being built around “Spaghetti Junction”. So perhaps Mr Williamson needs to go back to the toy box. Maybe his parents only ever bought him a bulldozer and maybe he thought a bulldozer was required for all roadworks. Well we have moved on. Technology has gone forward thank goodness and we have other instruments we can use. Anyway I will do my very best. I will speak to the Government and ask whether we can possibly get a bulldozer on some parts of the road in the days ahead. I am sure we will get cooperation on that from the Government and Mr Williamson will be happy. 
There are two sides to every story. Normally we can hear one side of the story when we listen and sometimes it can make the utmost sense. Then the Opposition will bring the other side of the story and then we sometimes have to weigh up and we say: “Well that is a very good point. We had not considered that.” But in all the hours of debate we have had on this bill I have been listening and waiting to hear the Opposition come up with the alternative—with the other side of the story. But what have we heard? We have heard zip—nothing. Yet Mr Maurice Williamson did mention something to us. To be honest one could see the amazement on his face when he suddenly discovered this—after being Minister of Transport for a large number of years. I do not know how many. Was it 5 years or was it 6 years? All of a sudden as though he could not believe it he made a discovery as he was trying to do some research on the Auckland roading issue. He discovered with amazement that National despite all his efforts managed to spend in one year out of nine the last year—he was there for 9 years—some money on Auckland roads. I think that that is a very sad state of affairs. That was after 9 years yet he has continually come down here as we have been going through this bill and criticised the Government on its performance over 5 years. Well I ask Mr Williamson this: what happened on the Auckland roads in year 6 after the National Party was last in power? 
I have lived in Auckland for many years and I was one of those who saw nothing happening—absolutely zip zero. Yet now I can see that progress is happening and I know that as United Future supports this legislation we are putting things in place so that Auckland that great city will have its transport system improved. Yes there are needs for alternatives. We would be supportive of those—bus lanes trams trains whatever. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Trams? 
PAUL ADAMS 
: Trams are very good. Has the member never thought of trams? There are many many alternatives but at least this legislation which we will see passed today will put in place bodies that can forward plan. As I have said it is never just a body of people. The most important aspect is that those people in those organisations are really forward-thinking. I hope they are and I hope they get good plans but at least we will know who to deal with. So United Future is very pleased with this legislation and is very happy to support it. We can leave on my final words promising Maurice Williamson that there will be a bulldozer. We will organise one and maybe we could get the former Minister a ride on that bulldozer if he is a very good boy as it puts the blade down for the first turn. I know that that will just delight his heart. I can see that he is a man who loves a bulldozer. In fact he has spent more time talking about bulldozers than talking about the legislation itself. United Future is happy to support this legislation.