Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:613;Page:10067] 
11.  
Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: Does he agree with the former Transport Minister Hon Mark Gosche’s reported statement that he had ordered an end to hidden speed cameras because he did not believe the [hidden speed camera] pilot in the Waikato had cut speeding or road deaths; if not why not? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 I am advised by the previous Minister of Transport Mark Gosche that he had actually stated there was a lot of debate about the relationship between speed cameras and police presence. As a result the Government decided to reinstate the highway patrol which has been an outstanding success. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Noting that previous Minister Mark Gosche is reported in the  
Waikato Times 
 on 9 June 2000 as saying that hidden speed cameras had proven to be a failure and given that Minister Hawkins in the House last Thursday ruled out lowering speed camera tolerance will this Minister now rule out the introduction of hidden speed cameras? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The Government is considering a range of new enforcement options to go with its very successful engineering programme. An education programme will be announced next week. We have to bring the road toll down; it is as simple as that. 
Mark Peck 
: What other reports has the Minister seen on the effectiveness of the speed camera trials? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I have seen a number of reports stating that hidden speed cameras were successful in reducing crashes and fatalities that there were sufficient road-safety gains from their use and that cameras were used for road-safety reasons—not to raise revenue. Those reports are from the former National Prime Minister Jenny Shipley and from former National Minister of Transport Maurice Williamson. They are from the days of course when National had good leaders—not ones like that motley lot over there. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That last comment the member knows is out of order. He will withdraw and apologise. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Ron Mark 
: Other than the strategy of concealing speed cameras in wheelie bins—a tactic most New Zealanders would rubbish—what other novel ideas has the Minister considered in his proposal to camouflage and conceal speed cameras? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Most people would consider those kinds of measures rubbish. As I have said a range of road safety options is being considered. Announcements are hopefully to be made in December. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Noting that Mrs Shipley’s and Mr Williamson’s comments were made before the end of the pilot scrapped by Mr Gosche why will this Minister not realise that dead bodies speak louder than officials’ reports which show that in the hidden speed camera area the road toll went up and that is why the trial was cancelled—it did not work? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: That is totally contrary to what the Auditor-General’s report stated in 2002 and I recommend that the member read it. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: In trying to defend what has become an indefensible position in light of the fact that his own officials’ report showed the road toll went up over the period of the speed camera trial why does the Minister keep quoting the Victorian experience with hidden speed cameras when in fact in the last 10 years the road toll in Victoria has remained virtually unchanged yet here in New Zealand the road toll has gone down 37 percent over the same period without hidden cameras? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The Victorian situation has reached a plateau and the Victorians are in the same position as us. [ 
Interruption 
] They are in the same position as us which is why we are considering new measures. Instead of quoting transport officials I would rather quote the Auditor-General who said that over the period 1 June 1997 to June 1999 the open road crash rate fell by 11 percent and open road casualties fell by 19 percent which are effects that have been associated with the hidden speed camera trial. So I am happy to table this although there is no need to because it is already a document of Parliament. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: I seek leave to table a document relating to the official review of the hidden speed camera trial that shows firstly that no conclusions can be drawn on a link between speeds and hidden speed cameras because of the small statistical sample and secondly that the number of deaths went up over the trial period; it did not go down. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I seek leave to table two letters one from Maurice Williamson and one from Jenny Shipley supporting speed camera trials. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Ron Mark 
: I seek leave to table some photographs of a speed camera hidden in a wheelie bin. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those photographs. Is there any objection? There is.