Logie JanJAN LOGIE (Green): I rise to take a call on this the first reading of the Land Transport (Vehicle User Safety) Amendment Bill which the Green Party will not be supporting. This bill which seeks to create an infringement offence under the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 is an attempt to prohibit people from washing vehicles on roads when done in a manner that may be considered unsafe or intimidating or may cause a nuisance or cause obstruction to vehicles. It is creating a fine for this of between $150 and $1000 and I really do think the House should consider whether this is another attack on the poor.I think we need to ask ourselves why people are doing this work. Is it because it seems like a fun job that will help them live their lives in the way that they want or is it because people are desperate they actually really need extra money the social supports for them to be able to live in dignity and live decent lives are not there and they are being driven to these measures which at times must be pretty dangerous? But here we are with a piece of legislation that is looking at fining those people who have been driven to do this. They are mostly young people but not exclusively young at all.It does seem an approach that is quite consistent with this Government's approach to things generally which is to completely ignore the root cause of any problem.Catherine Delahunty: There is no cause Jan.JAN LOGIE: There is no cause—Catherine Delahunty: No they're just bad people.JAN LOGIE: —no root cause. They are just silly bad people and the way to fix this problem is to create a law and fine them. It is not to think about supporting councils to bring people in their community together sit down and find out what the root cause might be or think about how you can support people to find other options to be able to get by and live with dignity. No that is not the solution. That is not where those members go. Where they go is to a piece of legislation that will create law that applies to everyone in the country creates fines and puts people who are in need at more risk.I do think it is worth pointing out that this bill could be said to be potentially unnecessary because several councils have already passed by-laws prohibiting people from window washing on the road. Christchurch City Council as an example gave the police the authority to prosecute window washers and according to media reports that resulted in an instant reduction in the number of window washers. In Auckland where at least the reporting has been there have been quite a few stories in the media about public concern and some attacks. It is worth noting again that when there are attacks that is illegal behaviour and that behaviour in itself is criminal and can be prosecuted. We are not talking about those attacks; we are talking about people washing the windows. Actually the council itself has said that it does not believe that taking a punitive regulatory approach will resolve the matter. We have been told that this is the solution to that problem when the council which is on the ground and knows the situation the best is saying that it does not think this is the right approach to be taking.Another problem with this bill is that it allows the Minister to have a rather broad sweeping power. The amendment to the Land Transport Act would allow the Minister to make rules that prohibit people from being a nuisance to other road users which potentially could allow the Minister to unilaterally impose rules controlling almost any so-called antisocial behaviour on the road and even protesting. I know some people will listen to that and think Oh those Greens. They always jump to the most extreme kind of possibility." but we have just seen the Anadarko provision used against those protesters who were trying to protect our future out on the sea. Sometimes when we are suspicious I do not think that it is without cause so the Greens are opposing this legislation."