King MattMATT KING (National—Northland): Thank you Madam Chair. National supports the bill and I'd like to acknowledge the officials who came to the Transport and Infrastructure Committee and were mighty impressive with their contributions and their help with drafting this bill. It amends the Commerce Act 1986 to introduce a market studies regime. I've had the pleasure of hearing from the Minister Kris Faafoi and I have a question for you: why is he not in Cabinet? He's the best they've got.Kiritapu Allan: Relevance.MATT KING: He's the best they've got. So very relevant—very relevant. So I support your application to Cabinet.This bill says that either the Commerce Commission or the Minister can initiate a market study if it's in the public interest what's best for the consumers. On the select committee we heard a reference to having an enforceable undertakings regime which gives it teeth because I understand that the cease and desist regime previously was rarely ever used—didn't have any teeth. So we support this bill because it's essentially our work—it's essentially our work—but I think the Government needs to axe the fuel taxes.Now Minister Faafoi asked the question before—Kiritapu Allan: Relevance.MATT KING: —well he asked a question so I have to answer it—what we would axe out of roading projects when we axe the tax. The trams—the billion-dollar trams multi-billion-dollar trams. Axe those trams that's what I'd say. We've got record high fuel prices so it's a real burden on our economy. It's really hurting families it's really hurting small businesses and it's hurting rural New Zealand. It's really affecting the cost of living. Everything that's transported on the road has gone up in price—the cost has gone up.I've got a constituent in my patch who has a trucking company and when I went to see him during the campaign 18 months ago things were going all right for him—he was trucking along. His fuel bill has nearly doubled—it has nearly doubled—since 18 months ago and he passes that price on to his consumers. The Gull service station—we've got the Gull service station down the road—had diesel at under a dollar and now it's $1.60 and he passes that on. His fuel bill on average was around $10000 a month and now it's close to $18000. That's a massive increase in cost.The Government seized on the Commerce Act. It's come along at the right time for them to say we're going to have a market study. But I can save them the cost because most of the increase is taxes. I remember Jacinda Ardern during the campaign saying No new taxes."—no new taxes. She said that during the election campaign—Hon Jacqui Dean: "In our first term."MATT KING: "In our first term."—no new taxes. Man are they hitting us with taxes. Clearly they're spooked by the community anger about this.So a market study—it's a lengthy process. It's going to take at least 12 months so there's no immediate relief to motorists. It's going to take at least 12 months and it's going to be a huge burden on businesses—it can be a huge burden on businesses—so it shouldn't be taken lightly. We support the idea of market studies—we do. We just think there should be some ministerial oversight. They should have a veto right. Commerce Minister Kris Faafoi estimated the cost to be around $400000 but the officials have said that figure's more likely a million dollars or more. So he's way out on his estimates but I ask you this question—this really important question: why is he not in Cabinet? Thanks very much."