Pettis Jill: Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Pettis Jill: Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:623;Page:18414] 
JILL PETTIS (Labour—Whanganui) 
: 
 I assume that Peter Brown from New Zealand First flies everywhere because it is obvious he has not driven over any of the roads that are having major work done on them. If one drives from Wellington to New Plymouth through the area where I live and which I represent and through the area my colleague Harry Duynhoven represents one has to factor at least 20 extra minutes into the road journey. I make that journey by road and I know that my colleague Harry Duynhoven does so from time to time. We do not have any other option sometimes. We have to factor in at least a quarter of an hour extra to cope with the hold-ups because of the massive amount of roadworks that are going on in the lower and central North Island region. There is also roading work going on in Auckland. In fact massive expenditure is going on at present on roads right throughout New Zealand and I have to say to Mr Brown: “Get off the plane and drive around New Zealand.”. 
I think I would be surprised—amazed in fact—at how some Opposition members run their household budgets given the bizarre statements they make about how this Government should be spending its income. I know that Mr Key runs his budget very well—he can afford $2000 Georgian clocks to sit on his mantelpiece. My constituents have to live on that sum for more than a third of the year. [ 
Interruption 
] Oh £2000 he said. 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: $6000. 
JILL PETTIS 
: Well that is half a year’s income for some of the constituents in my electorate. 
We should be very sensible about this issue because it is important. Let us stop saying we should spend like there is no tomorrow. The fact that New Zealand is in its current economic situation is because of prudent financial management not because we have been spending like there is no tomorrow. I bet Mr Brown has more than $500 in the bank. If that member practises what he preaches why does he not draw it out? Why does he not spend it all? Because that is precisely what that member is suggesting. I think we should stop some of these ridiculous irresponsible statements about spending every cent of income the Government has. We are investing money in roads and I am very pleased to see that and obviously I am very pleased to be seeing it in my region. The distribution of funding for roads is equitable right throughout New Zealand. 
This bill is important because it will help us to achieve more flexible funding for transport projects and it will help us to expand the objectives of Transit and Transfund which are doing an exceptionally good job and are planning well for the future. Some of those Opposition members would I think in a private moment agree and say: “Well yes there are more roadworks being done now than there have been in more recent years”. This bill is forward-looking and it is based on— 
Bill Gudgeon 
: But only piecemeal. When are you going to seriously invest in roading? 
JILL PETTIS 
: There is no piecemeal roading going on in our electorates. Very planned and considered roadworks are going on in our electorates. This is a good bill. It is forward-looking. It is about ensuring safe motoring and we need to acknowledge the reduction in the number of fatalities on the roads that has been brought about by a number of reasons. This bill is worthy of the support of this House.