Twyford Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTwyford Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 27 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:11358. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū)to theMinister of Transport: Why is the Government planning to fund the City Rail Link from 2020 and not 2016 as proposed by the Auckland Council?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (Associate Minister of Transport)on behalf of theMinister of Transport: To be clear the Government will be announcing details tomorrow of how it will advance the City Rail Link. It will not be funding the entire project. In 2017 the Waterview Connection funded by this Government will open and will finally complete the Auckland motorway network. This will lead to a considerable improvement in the transport system.Phil Twyford: What financial or traffic modelling was done to justify the selection of 2020 as the year to start funding the project and what vital information was provided by the well-known transport planners Curia Market Research?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Well if there was to be any research done it was probably going to be done byHerald -DigiPoll but nevertheless there were a number of reports and assessments that said that the project becomes more viable closer to 2030. So we have looked at the likely demographics of Auckland and determined that we do need to futureproof the city. Therefore we support the rail loop being built from 2020.Phil Twyford: Why is the Government continuing to deliberately hold back Auckland growth by delaying the start of the City Rail Link by 4 years when the project could be started now and be in service by 2020 adding badly needed jobs and prosperity to the Auckland economy?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: No Government has done more to advance the interests of Auckland transport than this one. There has been a huge number of projects—Phil Twyford: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked why the Government is delaying the start of the City Rail Link. I did not ask for a diatribe—Mr SPEAKER: Order! If the member gave enough opportunity for the Minister to answer the question we might hear the answer. Would the Minister please continue.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: In response to the part of the question where the member asked why the Government is holding back Auckland’s development no Government has done more than this one to advance Auckland’s interests in rail in the electrification and in electric multiple units; in Waterview; and in the State Highway 16 project which that member opposed. I think we do very well and stand up when it comes to Auckland transport.Phil Twyford: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. No member on this side of the House ever opposed State Highway 16.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is not a point of order. [Interruption ] Order! That is not a valid point of order and the member is going to be very lucky today to be allowed to continue with his questioning.Phil Twyford: Why is it that a new survey out today says that only 18 percent of Aucklanders rate the Government as trustworthy and what does that appalling level of trust mean for the Government’s ability to contribute to the Auckland economic growth agenda if hardly anyone trusts a word it says?Mr SPEAKER: The Hon Michael Woodhouse in as far as he has ministerial responsibility.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Quite frankly I am amazed that the member should be reading about polls. That particular poll polled very high levels of support for this particular project—much higher support I have to say than the recentHerald -DigiPoll polled for his leader his party or his leader and party combined.Phil Twyford: Can he confirm that the Minister for Economic Development the Hon Steven Joyce has until very recently been describing the City Rail Link to senior Auckland business leaders in terms that are too obscene to be repeated in this House?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Well clearly I cannot confirm those comments but what I know is that Mr Joyce did agree with the Auckland Council that it should go ahead and protect the route and that is occurring as we speak. When the Minister of Transport inherited that ministry we carried on the position that had previously been taken.