6. Transport Infrastructure—Fuel Taxes and Funding PrioritiesJAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of TransportTransport Infrastructure—Fuel Taxes and Funding Priorities6. JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of Transport: What is the total increased level of funding for the Public Transport activity class for the next 10 years if the mid-point level of funding proposed in the draft Government Policy Statement in the 2018/19 year continues at that level for 10 years without increase; and can he confirm that when that increased funding is added together with mid-point level funding for the new Rapid Transit and Transitional Rail activity classes over 10 years the total new and increased funding for these three activity classes is $5.398 billion?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): As to the first part of the member's question if the mid-point level of funding in the draft Government policy statement (GPS) for 2018-19 continues for 10 years the amount that the public transport activity class will increase is zero. The question is a confused hypothetical and a contradiction in terms and for the same reason I cannot confirm the second part of the member's question.Jami-Lee Ross: I seek leave to table a table prepared by the Parliamentary Library earlier today which does exactly the calculation the Minister says he can't do which gives an answer of—SPEAKER: Order! That's it. Leave is sought to table a document alleging to do that calculation. Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none. It will be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Jami-Lee Ross: Why is he prepared to cut $5 billion from the State highway improvement category to fund $5 billion of new public transport funding and expecting the rest of the country to pay more in tax for that privilege?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well I reject the member's assertion. Even with the investments into public transport and rapid transit in our three biggest cities and investment in freight and passenger rail adopting the mid-point as the member does our GPS spends on average only $90 million less per year than the former Government did on roads because we are increasing spending on local roads regional roads State highway improvements and road policing. We are spending only 2 percent less on roads than National did in their last GPS. The member is scaremongering and if he thinks that public transport is so unpopular he may want to know that the ridership in the Auckland public transport system has increased by 29.5 percent and rail has nearly doubled in the last five years. The only thing that has increased faster than that is congestion under that Government's policies.Jami-Lee Ross: Why does he expect taxpayers in Cambridge Ōtaki and Invercargill to have to pay more in petrol taxes—up to 25c a litre—to fund trams in Auckland?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well I completely reject the member's assertion or implication that we are spending less in the regions than he would have. Over the nine years of the last National—SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. I'm going to ask that member to repeat his question because I'm not sure that the Minister heard him.Jami-Lee Ross: Why should taxpayers in Cambridge in Ōtaki and in Invercargill have to pay more in petrol taxes—up to 25c a litre—to fund trams in Auckland?Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Before the Minister is required to answer this question could we have some sort of understanding that jeering and shouting from the other side is not adequate in this Parliament and they should be asked by you to desist.SPEAKER: Well I—[Interruption] Order! I will listen more carefully and maybe the member could talk to some of the people behind him as well because there has been quite a lot of noise from—[Interruption] Because there has been quite a lot of noise from both sides today. Now I think we're at the point where—[Interruption] That's all right. We're now at the point where we will have the question repeated for the second time in order for the Minister to address it.Jami-Lee Ross: Why should taxpayers in Cambridge and Ōtaki and Invercargill have to pay more in petrol taxes—up to 25c a litre more—to fund trams in Auckland?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well the member is quite wrong to say that. The good people of Cambridge and Ōtaki and Invercargill are not being asked by anyone to pay up to 25c extra a litre. Our Government is consulting on three consecutive—SPEAKER: Order! The member's finished answering the question.Jami-Lee Ross: Is the Minister telling us that the 3c to 4c a litre petrol tax over three years added together plus GST plus the regional fuel tax which he's legislating for in legislation this year does not add up to 25c a litre?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The people of Cambridge Ōtaki and Invercargill are not being asked to pay a regional fuel tax.Jami-Lee Ross: Why is he passing legislation to allow regional fuel taxes around the country when he claimed at the election that he would only allow it to happen in Auckland?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Our legislation only allows Auckland Council to put in place a regional fuel tax in the next three years. [Interruption] SPEAKER: OK I'm now going to ask both sides to settle down once again. Is the member finished?