Gallagher Martin: Land Transport Management Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Gallagher Martin: Land Transport Management Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:643;Page:12829] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 It is with huge— 
Hon Mark Burton 
: The old reflexes are getting a bit slow but the presence is still there. 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: The reflexes are slow because the great danger is that we take for granted the huge strides made in transport over the last 7 to 8 years. That is the problem with the slow reflexes I say to the good member for Taupo—and a very active member he is. I say to him that that is the danger. The danger is that we have short memories in this country. We have short memories in this country when we reflect on how hopeless the previous National Government was in terms of transport. There was only one good National Minister of Transport—he came from the Waikato region—and that was the Hon Rob Storey. What did National members do to him? They axed him; they dispensed with his services. 
This Government has an exceptionally proud record in terms of transport in this country to which the Land Transport Management Amendment Bill is but another very very important addition. The previous speaker Jeanette Fitzsimons spoke very eloquently about the need for public transport. The reality is that this Government has spent a record amount on promoting public transport in this country. It puts the previous Government to shame. 
As the member of Parliament for Hamilton West I take this opportunity to acknowledge the really good leadership and partnership that we have had between the Minister of Transport’s central government agencies our regional government agency—Environment Waikato—and the Hamilton City Council. I acknowledge the work that local government and my good colleagues Mark Burton Sue Moroney Dianne Yates and Nanaia Mahuta—and I will take some small credit myself as well—did in lobbying for the wonderful package that the Joint Officials Group put together for the Waikato along with places such as Auckland and Wellington. That was a culmination of local government regional government and central government working together. It was also a very good example that we in this Government mean business when it comes to transport in the Waikato. We mean business when it comes to improving transport in the Auckland metropolitan area. We mean business when it comes to improving transport in the Wellington area. We mean business when it comes to improving transport massively in the South Island. We mean business when it comes to improving transport in the regions. 
I think the frustration of the Opposition members comes from their being able only to watch and wonder at the progress we have made. [ 
Interruption 
] Again I acknowledge my good colleague the member for Hamilton East Mr Bennett. In his quiet moments he will admit that when he came into this Parliament after he was elected he was shocked at the absolute inaction of some of his colleagues. This Government has done so much. We can look at the  
New Zealand Transport Strategy 
. We can look at the integration of massive extra spending on State highways roading and public transport. The irony is not lost on me that we had those blue and red billboards with one of the previous leaders of the National Party on them—I am not sure which leader of the National Party it was; National has had about five or so in the last 10 years—that said: “What should petrol taxes be used for? Roads.” Well here is the message folks: that is exactly what petrol tax is being used for. Petrol tax is being used for transport—nothing more nothing less. Indeed there is a further subsidy from the consolidated account and that is indicative of just how much we are spending as a Government on transport in this country. [ 
Interruption 
] I know that it hurts; I know when we hear the interjections from the Opposition that it hurts. It is wonderful to be in a Government that is seriously committed to transport. Those interjections are indicative of a party in Opposition that has a memory loss a memory blank at what little its Government did—zero—in the transport area. 
This Labour-led Government is committed to delivering high-quality transport networks. We are already seeing that now throughout the country. This bill is designed to maximise the performance of the Government land transport sector and to enhance New Zealand land transport planning and funding systems. In respect of that I pay a personal tribute to people like Chris Allen the retiring manager of Transit New Zealand in the Waikato who has been promoted to the Hamilton City Council. I know that my colleagues Sue Moroney and David Bennett want to congratulate Chris Allen because he has been a wonderful advocate for roading and transport in the Waikato. 
This bill also implements the recommendations from the Next Steps review of the land transport sector and it introduces measures that will allow New Zealand’s land transport sector to move forward in an integrated manner. You know the news is all good; the news is all good. The bill provides for a Government policy statement that will set out planned investment and funding priorities for the next 3 to 6 years. Interestingly the bill will create the New Zealand Transport Agency as a new Crown entity replacing the existing Land Transport New Zealand and Transit New Zealand. I think the appointment of the interim board of the New Zealand Transport Agency will be very important and I am sure that the Ministers and the Government will be paying due attention to getting the right skill mix but we should not underestimate the talent skill and dedication already in those two organisations which are to be merged. 
Going back to the billboards that featured one of the many leaders of the National Party that I saw in my city during the last election campaign—[ 
Interruption 
]—members should listen to this and listen carefully—I say that the bill will reserve fuel excise duty for the National Land Transport Fund from 1 July next year. Members of the Opposition put up and get their Business Roundtable mates to fund a whole lot of billboards around the country. This Government does not talk about it; this Government actually does it. In fact that crowd opposite spent 9 years in Government talking about it but what did they do? They did absolutely nothing. 
The bill will also introduce regional land transport programmes to rationalise land transport planning documents it will reduce consultation and it will encourage integrated land transport planning—another good step in the right direction. Regional land transport programmes will include land transport projects and services including State highways and will need to be prepared and consulted on every 3 years only so that we do not have this incredible perpetual annual navel-gazing. We can actually be moving forward and I think that is a great step to take. Also the legislation will enable the levying of a regional fuel tax which is a tool available to regions for priority projects that would not otherwise get adequate funding within the desired time frame. 
I have paid tribute to Chris Allen who is a fantastic manager of Transit New Zealand in the Waikato region. In the time I have left I will also take the opportunity to pay a particular tribute to Jenni Vernon and the regional council. I acknowledge Jenni Vernon’s wonderful work in terms of some of the regional planning her wonderful advocacy for land transport and the really hard work that she did—I know that Mark Burton joins with me in that acknowledgment as do Sue Moroney and Dianne Yates—in advocating for our region. The great Joint Officials Group scheme for the Waikato is due in part to Jenni Vernon. I acknowledge that and it is my hope that the incoming chair Mr Peter Buckley whom I congratulate and also the Environment Waikato team will carry on that very very good work in the land transport sector. 
I also acknowledge councillor Dave Macpherson from my own city’s transport committee the new chief executive Michael Redman who was the mayor at the time and their officials for their sterling work in terms of the Joint Officials Group programme. I am proud to represent a city that is really walking the talk with this Government and that in its own right has an integrated land transport management strategy. It does not just talk about public transport and buses but actually does those things. It is wonderful to see those green buses going around Hamilton. They are an absolute testament to this Government and its strong support for public transport. 
I am so delighted at the introduction of the Land Transport Management Amendment Bill. This is another great step in the wonderful work that this Government and Minister Annette King are doing to advance the crucial investment in the New Zealand transport infrastructure that is so critical to our economy and our society.