Henare Tau: Road User Charges Bill — First Reading 
Henare Tau: Road User Charges Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:670;Page:16786] 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 Sometimes we look forward to people speaking in this House and I sat here throughout the debate on the Road User Charges Bill and I looked at Stuart Nash and thought: “I am getting excited. He excites me. He really does. He excites me with his command of the English language and his command of the issues and the problems facing this nation.” Well what an anticlimax! I paid all that money to watch and all I got was a repeat a rehash of everything that Mr Jones said. I say to Mr Jones that I welcome him to one of the hardest-working select committees in Parliament other than the Maori Affairs Committee. 
The Road User Charges Bill is purely and simply about two things—nothing else. There is no politics in this bill. It is about only two things: simplification and bringing us into the 21st century. That is all it is. If we put those two things together we do not get a truckload full of pornographic material; we get economic growth. That is what it all about. It is about getting this country moving. 
The previous Labour Government was in office for 9 years and what did it do about the trucking industry? Well let me tell members what it did. It caused a riot. It caused the trucking industry to march in the cities en masse. In fact that Government created havoc on our roads. Not one new road was built under that regime. [ 
Interruption 
] But as a resident of Te Atatu Peninsula—does Mr Twyford know where that is—I want to thank the Minister of Transport for a number of roads that are popping up in my area. That leads to economic growth in Auckland and if it leads to economic growth in Auckland then it will lead to economic growth in places like Napier. 
I will answer Darien Fenton who asked what the rush is and what the hurry is. I will tell members what the hurry is and I will tell them what the rush is. The Labour Party may not have seen it yet but we are in a bit of a bind economically—we are in a bit of a bind. So that is the rush and that is the hurry. There are no politics in this bill—absolutely none. All it is about is simplification and modernation—modernising the industry. Modernation—that is my word. 
Chris Hipkins 
: What’s modernation? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: It is not “moderation”; it is “modernation”. 
Hon Shane Jones 
: Where’s the Minister of Education? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: There is nothing wrong with that word. I will just add that word to the lexicon of the English language. I have a new word every day. 
I turn now to the Green member Gareth Hughes. I have to say that with all respect to him do members not get the feeling that they are being told off by a 2-year-old? I know he can pull out the engine of a car and good on him—well done. My diesel truck is in Bowen House. Maybe he could help me to fix it up. I have to say that all the speeches in the House tonight from the Opposition have been nothing but waffle—they have not said anything new. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: As opposed to this one—in direct contrast to this one. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Sorry? I did not think there would be a reply. This bill is all about the modernisation of this industry. It is all about the simplification of this industry. I tell members this as a person who loves to drive his diesel truck all over the nation—a 2.8 Turbo Mitsubishi Challenger one of the first in New Zealand—1996. It has done 300000 kilometres. Something that I despise is having to go to the post office and buy road-user charges. I love the idea of going online and picking up the required road-user charge. It makes it a hell of a lot easier. It simplifies it and here is that word again—modernation. 
I am amazed that the Greens and the Labour Party can have their cake eat it and then have the gall to get up in this House and moan about the taste. They can cook it they can have it they can eat it and then they moan about the taste. That is the Green Party and that is the Labour Party—they know that there are no politics in this bill. This bill is about getting the economy moving. It is about moving forward getting the engine of the New Zealand economy—Auckland—on the move. I cannot wait to hear from the many truckers and business people who will come before the select committee. 
Hon Shane Jones 
: What about Maori on the statutory board? They’ve been told to ruck off! 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I tell members in closing that I cannot wait to work with the Hon Shane Jones. I know that he will turn up to every Transport and Industrial Relations Committee meeting we have on this bill. I promise the House that if he does not turn up to even one meeting then I will come back and tell the House about that member’s commitment to the select committee and about the job that he now has as spokesperson on transport and other matters. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Moderation! 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Modernation and simplification.