Yates Dianne: Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Yates Dianne: Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:623;Page:18422] 
DIANNE YATES (Labour—Hamilton East) 
: 
 I am rather worried about the member opposite. He spoke last week and spoke very very loudly although he knows there are microphones in this House but now he is shouting in what seems to me to be a very strange way. We are rather worried about his health because he seems to be getting more and more frenetic in his speaking in the House. Even on his own portfolio area which I understand is foreign affairs he is saying the most peculiar things that have very little to do with this country or the countries about which he speaks. 
Tonight I understand that he is trying to comment on the Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill. 
Jill Pettis 
: You would never know. 
DIANNE YATES 
: No we would never know. He seems to spend much more of his time railing at United Future members and at other people in this House. It seems to have very little to do with the bill itself which is aimed at getting a more secure funding base for land transport in New Zealand. 
I find his speaking rather peculiar. It seems to me that he has some sort of duty in this House whereby he has to fill in for the rest of his party and say rather inane things. It is I suppose one way of filling in time but it does not add much to the debate. 
Obviously this bill is about increasing the rates of excise duty. It is about ensuring that we have better roads in this country and I commend our Government for addressing the problems particularly in relation to the Auckland-Hamilton highway. I am pleased to see that the road is growing and improving and that the four-laning is improving because for years and years there was a bridge to nowhere and a lot of inactivity on the part of the Government to which the previous speaker belonged. 
That speaker just made a lot of hot air and empty noise about nothing much which shows that he is completely out of touch with what is happening in this country. He was railing on about taxes when New Zealand is 12th lowest in the 30 OECD countries in terms of tax revenue and gross domestic product. It seems strange to me that this person should have some kind of responsibility for foreign affairs because he shows very little knowledge of taxes and rates of taxes in other countries whether in Australia the United States or Germany. I found that he was expressing a lot of hot air about nothing in continuing to rail on about the taxes in this country. The previous speaker knows that New Zealand is lightly taxed and that the New Zealand economy is progressing—in spite of him and certainly not because of any policies his party may have. 
In fact his party seems to have no policy. We keep hearing more and more hot air and it does seem to me—and that speaker exemplified this—that when one has nothing to say one says it louder and louder. One tries to overcompensate for the fact that one has nothing to say by speaking louder. I have mentioned before and I keep reminding the previous speaker that members do have microphones. 
It is also obvious that real economic issues are in the too-hard basket for his party. He is not really prepared to come to grips with concrete arguments about the economy but would rather talk about the personalities of other people in this House. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: What’s this member doing? 
DIANNE YATES 
: I am doing that because I think it is a subject for debate and I need to counter that debate. Therefore I am perfectly able to do so. 
Labour has a policy but the previous speaker made no mention of what he or the National caucus would do about the petrol tax. [ 
Interruption 
] Well he did not say so in his speech and it would be really good if he were to inform the House of what his policies were and then continue on with his speech. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: You’re so embarrassed you just want to get it stopped. 
Jill Pettis 
: No I’m not; I’m saying: talk about the investment in the Waikato. 
DIANNE YATES 
: We have investment in the Waikato and as I say there is huge investment now both in Auckland and Wellington as the previous Mayor of Auckland John Banks would know. For many many years he was going to do wonders on roading and his party was also going to do wonders but we did not see it happen. As I have said I am now aware that there is greater four-laning and greater expenditure. In New Zealand particularly in places like Tauranga where there is now greater access to the port there has been considerable development and infrastructural development. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: The toll road. 
DIANNE YATES 
: Well that is quite interesting. The toll road in Tauranga does not seem to be used all that much which is quite fascinating. I would invite the member Mr Shirley to perhaps give another speech and talk about that more fully. [ 
Interruption 
] Well I think he would find it quite interesting. 
Maurice Williamson when he was Minister of Transport was no better on this matter. Talking about Mr Banks and Mr Williamson I hear there is a rumour that Maurice Williamson is being challenged by John Banks which I find really interesting. There is an interesting process happening with members on the other side of the House. 
I remind the speaker too that the National Government raised the petrol tax. So with regard to those comments being made I say that at least my comments do not have to be yelled at people and thrust into this House. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: This is irrational. 
DIANNE YATES 
: Is the member rational? I think as my colleague on this side was saying that when we consider the neck muscles of the previous speaker as he is speaking and the volume at which he speaks we can conclude that he is adding very little to the debate. Obviously his matters are not addressing the bill that is before us. 
As we have said the bill provides a more secure base for land transport. It is part of the policy that was announced in December 2003. It is a matter of enacting what we have indicated we will enact; and a matter of ensuring that funding does continue on the very important matter of infrastructure for New Zealand—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Jill Pettis 
: At least we let our women talk; we don’t sack them. 
DIANNE YATES 
: Yes I take up the point that my colleague has made—so we have greater security being added into that area. 
I also want to thank the Ministers we have had in this regard—to thank Pete Hodgson for the work he has done on the bill and to thank the previous Minister of Transport. We look forward to continued road building and infrastructure development in this country.