Ross Jami-LeeJAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany): That was a Labour MP from one of the regions that is so ashamed of what they came up with yesterday in their Government policy statement (GPS) on transport that she didn't even mention their big flagship policy of the week. The reason why she and other Labour MPs from the regions are ashamed of what's been put forward is because Labour is gutting regional transport funding by $5 billion. That's $5 billion that is going in to fund about $5 billion of rail in Auckland and in other areas. We're seeing from Labour the way in which they have such disregard for regional New Zealand. We're seeing from Labour and the New Zealand First Party how they talk tough how they talk big in the regions but actually when it comes to delivery they've been found wanting.We also learnt something new from the Prime Minister yesterday—actually we learnt it this morning. We learnt from the Prime Minister this morning that apparently ramping up fuel prices ramping up fuel taxes is not a new tax because all of a sudden it's an existing tax and therefore it's OK to do it.So I look forward to when the Minister of Finance stands up on Budget day in the future and ramps up income tax and then claims it's not a new tax because income tax is existing. That simply doesn't wash with New Zealanders. New Zealanders around the regions are going to be paying large amounts more in fuel prices at the petrol pump because Labour is taxing regional New Zealanders more to pay for Auckland's trams.Other speakers on this side of the House are going to be talking more about their regional projects I'm sure. But I say to the people in Tauranga—and Todd Muller was asking questions about their road—that the good people of Tauranga are going to be paying more at the petrol pump not seeing State Highway 2 upgraded but the funding for trams in Auckland will increase. They don't like it when we talk about trams in Auckland and funding being lost from the State highway budget. The reality is if we put together the 10 years of funding for State highways just using the baseline that we had—not increasing it at all; using the baseline that the National Government was proposing over 10 years—and then see how much the Labour Government is putting into State highways the gap in the big funding difference is $5 billion. They can't deny it; it's right there in the figures. If we look at the funding that's there for mass transit and transitional rail and public transport would somebody like to guess how much that is? It is $5 billion. Labour and New Zealand First are gutting the regions by $5 billion and putting it into trams.I actually want to congratulate Julie Anne Genter. I want to congratulate her because she has been the winner under that Government policy statement. She's actually done very well. Shane Jones has been completely rolled over. The New Zealand First Party the champions for the regions—they don't care about the regions any more. In fact Shane Jones completely lost this argument. So much for Winston Peters being the big champion for Northland. Northland won't be seeing any improvements. The Waikato Expressway and the improvements around Waikato won't be going ahead. We won't be seeing the improvements to the Tauranga Northern Link that were planned. By the way these are improvements that the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) say would have led to a 50 percent reduction in the road toll—a 50 percent reduction in deaths and serious injuries.The Labour Government does not care about the regions in the way they like to talk. They can't come up with the sophistry that Phil Twyford has where he says that these aren't political decisions. We know that the signals that he has sent have led to NZTA already before the GPS was even issued making radical changes to the project. We know that there were contractors all geared up all ready about to be shortlisted about to see tenders issued for the Tauranga Northern Link—a road that will save lives—and all of a sudden the tender process was cut. We know there are people that were expecting to see Public Works Act acquisitions in relation to the Waikato projects and all of a sudden being told this won't be happening any more. He likes to claim big political credit for the East-West Link being cancelled but when it comes to fronting up to New Zealanders about other roading projects he likes to hide behind the New Zealand Transport Agency.Well I say to Phil Twyford that it's time for him to front up to New Zealanders. It's time for the Minister of Transport to be more honest and upfront with New Zealanders about what he's doing.SPEAKER: Order!JAMI-LEE ROSS: I say that the Minister of Transport should be apologising to regional New Zealanders for gutting the State highway projects. They are taking money out of the regions taxing people more for it all to pay for Auckland trams. They should be ashamed of that.