Horan Brendan: Land Transport Management Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Horan Brendan: Land Transport Management Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 11 September 2012. Volume:683;Page:5111. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
BRENDAN HORAN (NZ First) 
: 
 I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to speak on the Land Transport Management Amendment Bill. 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: That’s not this bill! 
BRENDAN HORAN 
: I must say after listening to the honourable Mr David Bennett speaking—do not worry Mr Bridges we will get to you. We will cross your bridge when we come to it. I will say that after listening to the honourable David Bennett I am sure that Vogel would be rolling in his grave to see the chairman of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee so blinkered so blinded so averse to common-sense transport infrastructure such as rail. It is very interesting because the honourable David Bennett has obviously been taking note of the Prime Minister “Mr Spray and Walk Away”. He has certainly given a big spray to those KiwiRail workers who are losing their jobs and to those people in Gisborne the 10800 people who signed that petition that the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee decided to just ignore. His comments really do cast serious doubts on the competency of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee and its ability to be fair and true and to deliver something other than party-based outcomes because we all know that the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee is heavily weighted in the Government’s favour.  
Hon Simon Bridges 
: Oh well that’s why there are rotten sleepers! 
BRENDAN HORAN 
: As I said Mr Bridges we will talk about rotting sleepers. I will talk to you about them later. 
But let us talk about tolling because this bill is intended to facilitate and in fact ease the facilitation of road tolling. We in New Zealand First have real concerns about expanding the role of toll roads. The notion of streamlining the process to introduce more toll roads we see as being against the wider public interest. Imposing tolls upon key roads inhibits New Zealanders from travelling on them. We already know about all the people who are living in poverty although that side of the House tends to turn a blind eye to that. Similarly the more toll roads in New Zealand the greater the impact—and that is an adverse impact—on domestic and international tourism. 
This Government needs to front up as to why it is relaxing mechanisms surrounding the introduction of toll roads. Could it possibly be for its Aussie mates in the Macquarie Group? [ 
Interruption 
] I notice in the bill—let us get around to Mr Simon Bridges. In the bill we see Route K there. I was hoping to see in this bill that the Government would be taking over the debt from the Tauranga ratepayers. There was its opportunity to do something for the people of Tauranga but no it is not in there. 
Let us talk about borrowing because within this bill is a fundamental change allowing the New Zealand Transport Agency to borrow to build roads. This is a very significant change and not one to be made lightly. What is missing is the justification for this profound change. Where is the evidence that this is necessary? Where is the cogent argument? Where is the compelling case for doing this? What is actually behind the move? Earlier tonight the members on that side of the House criticised this side of the House for our attention to detail. We know that the devil is in the detail. Given the state of the economy and our level of debt giving the New Zealand Transport Agency more borrowing powers needs to be fully explained and justified. It is quite simple. All borrowing powers need to be carefully considered. The Government needs to be quite clear. It needs to front up and tell us what is really going on. 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: Didn’t you listen to Gerry’s speech? 
BRENDAN HORAN 
: Well I heard Gerry’s speech but I was wondering what happened to the $12 billion set aside for the roads of national significance. What has happened to the petrol taxes that we pay? What has happened to the exorbitant prices that New Zealanders are now forced to pay with road-user charges? What happened to the jobs? Less debt more jobs—was that not what the National Party campaigned on? Now it is pushing forward with a bill that allows greater borrowing for the New Zealand Transport Agency. So what are its priorities? The bottom line is this: as it stands New Zealand First cannot rubber-stamp the New Zealand Transport Agency having additional borrowing powers without a full and proper explanation by this Government. 
Let us go on to public-private partnerships. This bill will reduce potential barriers to the use of public-private partnerships and the public should be very worried at this development—very worried indeed. Private business is there for a profit and usually a handsome profit. Much-touted public-private partnerships have been one of the great ways in fact of hoodwinking the public. They have often proved to be a bonanza for private interests but usually at the public expense. 
John Hayes 
: What a string of clichés. 
BRENDAN HORAN 
: Well what private business would want to get involved in a public-private partnership if there were not a great profit in it for them? But when it all goes bad the taxpayer of New Zealand is left footing the bill. When things go wrong it is us the taxpayers who pay. We oppose the privatisation of New Zealand’s roading network by stealth. The last thing we need or want is for New Zealanders to be paying some overseas corporation for the use of the roads here in our own country. 
This bill does have a couple of merits however. New Zealand First supports the Government’s aim of reducing needless bureaucracy which often impedes large-scale transport projects. However New Zealand First cannot support this bill as it currently stands. New Zealand First will not stand for relaxing regulations around road tolls nor will we idly stand by and allow this Government to implement further public-private partnerships at a greater cost to the taxpayer. Therefore New Zealand First opposes this bill. 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: No don’t sit down—there’s more. But wait there’s more! 
BRENDAN HORAN 
: There is more coming Mr Bridges. You are going to have to wait for that one but it is very soon.