Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:665;Page:13295] 
5. 
Hon DARREN HUGHES (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: What differences if any is he expecting New Zealand research to show on the effect of a blood-alcohol level of between 0.05 percent and 0.08 percent on a New Zealand driver compared to an Australian driver? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 This may come as a surprise to the member but I do not expect to see any difference in the effect of alcohol on a single New Zealand driver compared with say an Australian driver. What I do expect the research to show is particularly the actual level of harm caused on New Zealand roads by drivers with a blood-alcohol level between 0.05 percent and 0.08 percent. This gap in the research was identified by the previous Government but as in a number of other areas the work was never done. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Why did he say in the foreword to the Safer Journeys strategy in respect of actions to lower the drink-driving limit that “change is needed if we are to catch up with Australia … and others that are best in the world” if he was not convinced by existing New Zealand and Australian evidence that immediate change was needed? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I certainly stand by those comments in my foreword. We have made a number of changes that will impact on the road safety record of this country relative to Australia—for example the cellphone rule change the illegal street racing legislation the raising of the driving age to 16 the nil alcohol limit for recidivist drink-drivers the nil alcohol limit for young drivers the introduction of alcohol interlocks and tougher penalties for drink-driving and dangerous driving causing death. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Does he believe that a lower blood-alcohol limit for drivers is one of the factors that has resulted in 16 Australians in Victoria for every million people dying from alcohol-related road crashes compared with a much higher 28 people for every million people in New Zealand? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: It is difficult to draw that conclusion because the number of people apprehended in New Zealand at the 0.08 percent limit on a population basis is higher than the number in Australia so that suggests a different attitude to alcohol amongst those who drink to excess. I note that it is amazing that Opposition members are taking this approach on the issue when they were obviously lambs in Government on this issue and are lions in Opposition. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Is it correct that the data in his  
Safer Journeys 
 document on the relative risk of a fatal crash set out by various blood levels uses New Zealand data and research and clearly shows that a 0.05 level is far safer than existing levels based on that existing New Zealand research? 
Hon Annette King 
: There’s none. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: There is absolutely research and as I said— 
Hon Annette King 
: The Minister has said there is no research. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: No that is not correct. What I said was that there is no research on the issue of the level of actual harm—no actual research between 0.05 and 0.08 and there cannot be because legislatively— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Just ridiculous! 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Trevor Mallard should not call me “ridiculous” on this issue because he sat in Government for 9 years and never changed it—[ 
Interruption 
]—never changed it and now he is a lion in Opposition. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There is quite enough noise all around the Chamber. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Does he recognise that these constant references— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I apologise to the member. Now on this occasion it is the Hon Ruth Dyson. That was a totally unnecessary interjection. Interjection is good in this place if it is relevant to what is going on but her own colleague is asking a supplementary question. That interjection is totally unnecessary. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Does he recognise that the constant references to previous Governments of both colours leave him as the only person who is playing the party politics card on this issue; that he should accept that a majority of MPs in this House want to vote for a lower alcohol limit—which my bill would allow—and when will the Minister move beyond politics and do something for road safety that we can all support when there are no party politics to be played here? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Before I invite the Minister to answer I am going to invite the member to re-ask his question and National members—because I will not include United Future and ACT in this—will not interject like that. I could not hear the question and that is why I am inviting the Hon Darren Hughes to repeat it but I ask him not to add into it stuff that is really outside the Standing Orders. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Does he recognise that these constant references to actions or his perceived inactions of previous Governments of both political colours leave him as the only person still playing the party political card on this issue when a majority of MPs in the House do want to see a lower blood-alcohol limit for driving something that my member’s bill would achieve? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: No I cannot accept that. The reality is that this Government has in less than 2 years a far better record on road safety than the previous Government had for 9 years. If the member opposite is embarrassed about his record in that regard that is for him to sort out. But we have introduced the cellphone rule drug-driving legislation and illegal street racing legislation committed to raising the driving age to 16 and introduced a nil alcohol limit for recidivist drink-drivers a nil alcohol limit for young drivers alcohol interlocks and tougher penalties for drink-driving and dangerous driving causing death. When I asked the previous Minister of Transport what Labour had achieved in new road safety rules when in Government she said rumble strips. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Point of order Mr Speaker—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I say to both the Minister and the Hon Annette King that a point of order has been called. They should have heard that. They will cease interjection when a point of order has been called. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I seek leave for the Land Transport (Safer Alcohol Limits for Driving) Amendment Bill to be set down as a members’ order of the day. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought for that course of action. Is there any objection? There is objection.