Pugh MaureenMAUREEN PUGH (National): Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I too stand in support today of the Fuel Industry Bill but only through to select committee at this stage. It is becoming a real pattern in this House that we are seeing legislation dropped on us in urgency to debate and give the House's considered thought and process to these things. This bill was not even on the Order Paper. It was not even mentioned yesterday when the Leader of the House reeled off the list of bills that were going to be debated under urgency in this House. It didn't appear until yesterday afternoon I understand so we have to wonder that it was probably still being drafted yesterday morning. So again another example of rushed legislation and we've seen examples already—even yesterday as we go back and correct the mistakes of rushed legislation. So this kind of process does no justice to this House. The fuel industry is a very competitive model that we have in this country. But the one thing that does concern me is that when we're talking about something so large and that makes such an impact on everybody in this country we do not do justice to it by such a truncated process. We've got industry players in this country such as the Road Transport Association New Zealand the New Zealand Trucking Association the Road Transport Forum and the owners and operators of over 4 million vehicles in this country that will have an interest in what happens in terms of this piece of legislation. They need the opportunity to participate. We have in this country a fleet as I say of over 4 million vehicles. It's interesting to learn that the average age of those vehicles in this country is actually increasing. So over the past 15 years we've seen that increase. The average age of vehicles in this country is 14½ years for passenger vehicles and it's actually 18 years for heavy vehicles—heavy trucks. So we have more efficient vehicles on the road and we have vehicles that are actually lasting longer. So the impact that this bill will have on them of course as anyone with any sense will understand—you increase the cost of operating those vehicles and the end user the person who pays for the goods and products that are transported around this country in that fleet are the ones that end up paying for it. The very people that in this day and age post-COVID when the world is in such economic stress—they are the ones that are going to be asked to pay for this increase in fuel tax.I've spent some time pumping gas in my life. I spent quite a few years at a very small rural garage so I understand the stress that is also on those businesses. I'd like to put a shout-out to a couple who live in Haast Eamonnd and Heleen Johnston who have Johnston Motors down there. They're one of the most remote fuel stations that we've got and unfortunately they do have to have a large fuel price. It's probably higher than you will get in most places. But the reality is that to get a fuel truck to Haast is a long way from everywhere. The truck cannot get there and back to its depot in one day so the driver has to overnight. So the cost of all of that delivery goes on to that retailer. He has no option but to charge enough for his fuel to cover those costs. So we see there is already 97c a litre in taxes or it was until today—97c a litre already on his fuel bill. So he's got to cover that extra transport the extra cost of that person overnighting. Now in a 24-hour period we know that driver can only do 13 hours of work before he has to have a 10-hour break so it's expensive to get fuels to those areas. The last thing our most remote and rural communities need is more tax going on their fuel bills. We need to support the people in the provinces. We need to support those communities in our most remote areas and we don't do that by adding more and more taxes on to those basic commodities that they have no choice but to have to buy. This Government is so removed from reality—they do not get that. We look forward to a very short select committee process.