O'Rourke Denis: Customs and Excise (Budget Measures—Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Rourke Denis: Customs and Excise (Budget Measures—Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading[Sitting date: 16 May 2013. Volume:690;Page:10381. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]DENIS O’ROURKE (NZ First): People are getting sick and tired of having petrol tax increases of the size and frequency that this Government has imposed and will impose further by this Customs and Excise (Budget Measures—Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill. The effect is that since National took office the petrol tax will have gone from 42c per litre to 59c per litre an increase of over 40 percent. That is a massive increase for the people of this country to bear. The magnitude of the proposed increases to add 9c per litre over 3 years would need I believe much better justification than the Government has so far given and I am dismayed that so few of the members opposite me have chosen to rise and speak to give that justification. I listened to what the Minister of Transport said and also did not find anything like adequate justification for the sheer magnitude of the increases that are being proposed. That is the first issue: large fuel tax increases with no real justification although I suppose we know what the real reason is and that is to make the Government’s books look good for election purposes next year.Another issue—why by this time New Zealand has not developed other funding sources—is something that we should really think about much more. Just recently I was interested to read the Auckland transport funding plan. It sets out two options. Both have baskets of different funding sources. One requires more funding from rates and the other suggests that road pricing systems be introduced. Both of course require regional fuel taxes. Stupidly I think this Government is now abolishing the legislation allowing regional fuel taxes to be established. I think that is a very serious mistake.Hon Member: Different bill.DENIS O’ROURKE: It is a different bill but that legislation is also going through the House at this time. So the Government’s moves to impose these much larger fuel tax increases are not appropriate when our largest city is currently looking at the best funding sources for land transport purposes right through to the year 2030 and beyond. The point here is that that city is not just looking at funding for transport initiatives but also wishes to begin to introduce demand management measures especially to suppress demand at peak times and we all know what Auckland can get like at peak times.In Christchurch of course where I come from there were no motorways allowed by successive councils through the built-up area of the central city. That is a debate we had a decade or so ago. The only motorways that we want to see in that city are those that give access to the city from the rest of the country so that is the motorway to the south which has just been expanded and that to the north. I myself was involved as a member of the city council there in trying to move the city towards a more sustainable transport system by improving public transport establishing a bus exchange encouraging cycling and all those things. It is sad that this Government does not seem to understand the need for us to move more strongly in that area.But another issue is that any increased funding should be applied towards a more sustainable transport system and this country needs substantial measures aimed at just that. It is short-sighted to simply increase fuel taxes at the proposed rate in order to mindlessly build more motorways only some of which are actually required. The real issue is the need for road pricing and other measures aimed firstly at a more sustainable land transport system and secondly at a system that incentivises other modes especially at peak time. I do not see any proposal that the Government has put before us at any time during this term of Parliament that would give me any confidence that that will be done. We should really learn the lessons of other countries where the headlong race to build more road capacity has resulted only in more demand especially at peak times. The effect is a vicious circle which costs vast sums in capital and increased maintenance costs as well not to mention the costs of many externalities.I also would have to agree with another speaker and express my dismay that the Greens are voting for this bill—voting for huge fuel tax increases that will burden the ordinary people of this country without any assurance that it will move us towards a more sustainable transport system. I might have it wrong but I thought the Greens were in favour of a more sustainable transport system. I have not heard them say anything so far to give me any understanding of why they would support this particular increase in fuel taxes when it will not do anything to move us towards a more sustainable transport system.New Zealand First is focused on a more sustainable transport system. We want more from the system than just roads. We accept that there are road improvements that are needed but we want much more than that. We want a fair well-thought-out funding system and we want a modern rail system integrated with good road shipping and other transport systems. We want to develop these with Kiwi expertise rather than buying it from overseas. We want to see the electrification of the New Zealand rail system using New Zealand workers providing jobs in this country. We do not want to see Hillside railway workshops close. They would be able to provide us with rolling stock providing more jobs for people in this country. We want more economic and environmentally sustainable transport systems.We will vote against this bill fundamentally because it is just a money-grab and is not part of a genuine move towards the modern transport system that this country needs. It is really sad to hear the members opposite whose only contribution has been caterwauling from the backbenches and none of whom have bothered to rise and take a genuine part in this debate. That I think not just is very sad but actually means that the National Party simply does not care about the welfare of the people in this country who will have to pay those fuel taxes without getting in return any genuine move towards a sustainable transport system for New Zealand. That is pretty pathetic. New Zealand First will certainly vote against the bill and we will be very saddened if it proceeds any further.