Gallagher Martin: Appropriation (2006/07 Estimates) Bill — Third Reading Imprest Supply Debate 
Gallagher Martin: Appropriation (2006/07 Estimates) Bill — Third Reading Imprest Supply Debate 
[Volume:633;Page:4599] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 It gives me great pleasure to rise in this debate and to say again how wonderful the recent Budget was. Of course I want to talk particularly about transport. At the last election in my electorate there was a huge banner—I do not know whether it was paid for by National or the Exclusive Brethren—that asked: “What are your petrol taxes for?” [ 
Interruption 
] I do not know whether the Exclusive Brethren paid for that banner. It would not surprise me if they were writing the cheques in my electorate because a lot of money was spent there by the Opposition. I tell members there was a picture of the current Leader of the Opposition Dr Brash on that huge billboard. It asked: “What are your petrol taxes for? For roads.” Unlike members opposite I can say that under this Government within 5 years we will be in the situation where we will be spending $300 million more on roading and transport than has been raised through petrol and excise levies etc. It is an example of a Government that actually does something. 
 What a pleasure—what a privilege it was last week to go to witness the Minister of Transport the Hon Annette King opening the Mercer to Long Swamp section of the Waikato Expressway. As I have said in this House before the rest of those members on the opposite side of the House—with the honourable exception I think of David Bennett who has just arrived—were comatose in terms of transport in the Waikato. They were comatose; they were in a deep deep slumber yet they had the gall and the “h” word—I cannot use the “h” word—to criticise this Government on transport. The honourable exception to that was a very good Waikato member the Hon Rob Storey. Members opposite will know about the Hon Rob Storey. What did they do to the Hon Rob Storey? He was a good Minister of Transport a good Waikato member but of course he was removed in a previous Government. But let me acknowledge his contribution. 
In regard to the Long Swamp to Mercer expressway—the dual carriageway—let me take the opportunity to praise Transit the contractors and the people who worked on what is a very geologically difficult area. As people will recall for a number of years there was a joke about the “Bridge to Nowhere”. Well it was built at the appropriate time in terms of its funding to get it in there and it is now definitely the “Bridge to Somewhere”; it is the bridge to a vastly improved Waikato Expressway route. In the context of that opening I acknowledge the extra $1.3 billion over 5 years to guarantee our State highway programme. Indeed I acknowledge in fact that this Government is spending a record amount on roading and transport in this country and of course we are the beneficiaries. We won that amount because of the advocacy of Government members of Parliament in the Waikato region which resulted in $200 million extra going into a special Waikato transport roading package. So while members on the opposite side of the House were snoozing sleeping and twiddling their thumbs Government members were getting on with the job. 
I know that the member for Hamilton East Mr Bennett was shocked. I know for a fact he was shocked when he fully realised and discovered how little his other colleagues had done in terms of transport and roading issues in the Waikato over the last few years. In his heart of hearts he knows that this Government is doing a fantastic job—as in their heart of hearts do Opposition members. In their moments of truth in the moments when they look in the mirror in the middle of the night they know that this Government is doing fantastic work in terms of investing in our infrastructure. 
Let us talk about rail and how the previous National-led Government literally tried to destroy rail in this country in a most shameful way—how National members literally stood by and twiddled their thumbs while the proud rail network was consigned to be bled and become inoperative. This Government invested in rail. I acknowledge people like Paul Swain a previous Minister of Transport and Mark Gosche for their leadership. They have vision and they have capacity in the best tradition of people like Bob Semple from the first Labour Government. Those people opposite would not know who Bob Semple was but he was a great visionary in his time. I remember back in the 30s and 40s people were criticising him then for backing things like good roads— 
Dr Richard Worth 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is quite impossible to hear Mr Gallagher and that is not because of the noise from this side of the House; it is because he is shouting hysterically into the microphone. If he could lower his voice a little I am sure members of the House might gain some faint value from his comments. 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: The member should not mistake enthusiasm for hysteria—or mistake passion and absolute pride. But I thank that member because I know he is one of the more thinking members on the other side of the House and in his heart of hearts he too must think: “Gee wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had been Government doing all of this. I know the speeches we would have made if we had been able to do this—I know the speeches of absolute pride.” I know that Mr Worth thinks that in his heart of hearts but I thank him and I ask him not to mistake that I am very enthusiastic and very very proud. 
The issue of transport infrastructure is one of the wonderful aspects of our Budget and it is so important and meaningful for the Waikato region because we are situated on the north-south major transport hub. As Hamilton we serve and relate to two very important seaports in Tauranga and Auckland. We relate to our own international airport but also to our other major international airport in Auckland. So that is why all this transport infrastructure is very important. It is tied up with jobs and with economic growth. 
One of the wonderful things that I went to with Pete Hodgson was the opening of the Fonterra inland rail port—huge major sheds from where the Fonterra dairy product is railed either to Auckland or to Tauranga. I myself had the great privilege of going on a rail locomotive through the Kaimai tunnel and seeing the wonderful port of Tauranga. The people who drove that locomotive told me that my Government cared about rail again that my Government was passionate about rail—and that was absolutely wonderful. Bob Clarkson knows that to be true. He can see that incredible growth at the port of Tauranga and he knows that the economy of Tauranga relies on transport. He knows it is true that this Government is doing some fantastic work in terms of developing our infrastructure. 
Other speakers have talked about Working for Families and how important that is. Other people have talked about boosting people and giving them a chance in terms of tertiary education. I also want to talk a wee bit in the context of our national identity and to say how delighted I am in terms of the money and funding around defence. I take this opportunity as the member for Hamilton West to acknowledge our wonderful men and women of the Territorial Force. I also take an opportunity in this speech to acknowledge the even younger people who serve in the various training and cadet corps. Again I acknowledge the money being spent towards the $4.6 billion defence sustainability initiative. We know how important a modern well-equipped defence force is in the current climate we find ourselves in in terms of international affairs. I am very proud that this Government has invested in that area. 
In the brief time I have left I want to finish on broadcasting and to say thank you to the Minister and to the Government for the extra funding towards local television through New Zealand on Air Radio New Zealand and broadcasts to Pacific nations. 
I thank them for that money because again it is very important in developing our national identity and our cultural identity and in celebrating our diversity and putting funding into local organisations. 
I am very proud to be a member for Hamilton West. I compliment this Budget and this Government. Some very very exiting things are happening in the Waikato under this Government. If members on the opposite side of the House do not believe me I invite them to come to my city any time.