Katene Rahui: Climate Change (Transport Funding) Bill — First Reading 
Katene Rahui: Climate Change (Transport Funding) Bill — First Reading 
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RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 When I travel the roads down south it would be rare to see one of those energy-efficient space-saving wonders like the Honda Jazz or a Toyota hybrid. That is not to say that the constituents of Te Tai Tonga would not support cars that are fuel efficient and environmentally friendly; it is just the reality that smarter cars cost more. The writing is on the wall that vulnerable communities will become even more threatened as oil gets more expensive. The current prediction from the New Zealand Energy Strategy is that by 2020 only 5 percent of new car sales will be electric. That is after all only a decade away. As the technology advances it is likely that the numbers of new car sales that will be electric will rise rapidly to 60 percent by 2040. But members can bet their last dollar that it will not be our whanau driving away in these flash vehicles no matter how much we believe in energy efficiency. 
We had a good look at this bill to see whether there were any options the Maori Party could support in the pathway to sustainable transport. The proposition in this bill is to increase the amount of investment from the National Land Transport Fund to be spent on sustainable transport options rather than on roading. I want to be clear that the Maori Party is very supportive of the development of public transport options to respond to the dual challenges of peak oil and climate change. In the medium to long term public transport will benefit lower-income earners by providing affordable transport as petrol costs continue to increase. But we have to be real about these options. There are not a lot of commuter trains between Murupara and Whakatane between Ahipara and Kaitaia or between Hokitika and the Haast. In fact it is a bit of a push to find a good bus service in the electorates that we in the Maori Party serve. The energy-efficient trams and underground trains in Ontario are a long way from our situation here. 
Aotearoa is characterised by having a high level of car ownership; a high proportion of used imported vehicles; a trend towards importing older larger vehicles; low use of public transport; and a limited rail network. This transport profile is not sustainable. With peak oil upon us there is an urgent need to prepare for ongoing oil price increases and a future downturn in availability by providing people with affordable alternatives to private motorcars. Our policy has always been that we will support improved public transport in order to reduce carbon emissions and reduce the nation’s dependency on oil in the face of peak oil production. Transport emissions currently represent around half of the emissions from the energy sector and are growing at an unsustainable rate. Bold action is required. 
This bill falls into that long-term plan for transport spending to focus on sustainable and affordable alternatives. The bill also requires the Minister of Transport to report annually on the performance of the Act including its operation in relation to the goal of a safe integrated responsive and sustainable land transport system. This is an important goal: to be able to measure progress as it occurs. Simply by making the commitment that the Minister of Transport will monitor review and report annually on the state of land transport in New Zealand we have made an important first step to improving the operations of our public transport system. We need to develop strategies to invest in a public transport system that is frequent reliable and inexpensive for users. Ideally we must be able to investigate the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles to lease or sell to low-income earners at prices they can afford. 
A final point in favour of this bill is that we are aware that the labour intensity of public transport is higher than for roading so we reiterate the vital need to consider ways in which Maori employment strategies can be introduced in association with any investment in new infrastructure. We end with the final word in the letter from the member sponsoring this bill: the outcome is what is important. We need to become energy literate to properly evaluate energy options. We need to lessen our dependence on imported oil and in doing that we need to invest in sustainable transport options services infrastructure and education. There is a lot to be done so we had better start now. We therefore declare our support for this bill. 
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.