9. Question No. 9—TransportHon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Green) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 9—Transport9. Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Green) to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by his statement The time for fine words on climate change is over we actually need to start the transition"; if so how does the Government's transport policy reflect this?Hon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Transport): Yes I do. I stand by my full statement that "Getting more Kiwis into clean cars is a hugely important part of reducing our emissions. The time for fine words on climate change is over we actually need to start the transition." And the good news is that we are making progress. The Clean Car Discount has seen more than 57000 light electric and non - plug-in hybrid vehicles registered resulting in significant emissions reductions across cars coming into New Zealand with a roughly tripling of the numbers of zero-emissions vehicles month on month and a 15 percent reduction in the emissions intensity of new vehicles coming in. Combined with other measures including the Government's $1.2 billion climate emergency response fund this means that across transport the Government is on track to meet its first carbon budget under the emissions reduction plan.Hon Julie Anne Genter: What is the precise increase in carbon emissions from the Government's over $1 billion fuel tax cut as determined by the Climate implications of policy assessment?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: The advice that I have been provided is that the total possible impact on emissions that is modelled is between 0.7 percent and 1.2 percent as a result of that particular policy. Now of course our overall goal is to continue reducing emissions and that's why it's important to note that we remain on track across transport to reach our emissions reduction targets in the first carbon budget period but in this case the Government did believe it was very important to provide critical support to Kiwi families facing those cost of living pressures. Of course we have also balanced up that investment with half-price public transport.Hon Julie Anne Genter: Wouldn't spending over $1 billion on targeted support for people who are struggling with larger cash payments or benefit increases be of more help to them and the climate than fossil fuel subsidies that also benefit rich people petrol companies and hurt the climate?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Of course the Government has made investments across that whole spectrum. We have made the investment to ensure that people are buffered from the increase in petrol prices that have been experienced. We have made the investment in half-price public transport and while it's not in my portfolio area we have in fact made investments via direct payments to people below the median income which will be starting to come into effect from early August.Hon Julie Anne Genter: Why is the Government spending more than $1 billion on fossil fuel tax cuts when it could not find $360 million in Budget 2022 to fund hybrid electric trains to preserve and increase inter-regional rail services that reduce our dependency on fossil fuels?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Because in any Budget the Government always has choices to make about the investments that it might wish to make. In Budget 2022 I note that $1.2 billion was invested through the Climate Emergency Response Fund including hundreds of millions of dollars in building a more resilient rail network including a $350 million transport choices package to help more Kiwis access public transport and safe walking and cycling options and we continue to work with Greater Wellington Regional Council around their proposals for improved rail services as the member reflects on in her question.Hon Julie Anne Genter: Can he confirm the Infrastructure Commission review of the evidence produced for Let's Get Wellington Moving in early May said that option 4 not option 1 as the Government has announced was the best choice from both a climate and economic perspective?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: I can confirm that Te Waihanga made that assessment based on the base urban development cases that were presented at that stage and that the preferred option of option 1 that Cabinet selected was based on a significantly higher model of urban intensification to ensure that there were greater carbon reduction benefits achieved.Hon Julie Anne Genter: What is the date and title of the advice he's just referred to about increased intensification from option 1 and why was it not provided to the Infrastructure Commission before they undertook their review?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: I don't have the precise date and title to hand but I'm happy to provide it to the member. I'm referring to advice that Cabinet received to inform its decision making at the time that it did."