Baldock Larry: Land Transport Management Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Baldock Larry: Land Transport Management Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:613;Page:9681] 
LARRY BALDOCK (United Future) 
: 
 In summarising what I have just heard it seems to me as if we had a Government that was in power for 9 years and that took 9 years to produce a document. Then we had the Labour Party that was formerly opposed to tolls and the Greens who are opposed to roads. It is a jolly good thing United Future arrived on the scene so that we could have this bill come into the Chamber today—a bill that will provide some alternative methods of funding for New Zealand’s roads. 
We do need alternative funding. Since coming to this House I have made frequent points about the diversion of funds from the petrol excise tax and I take Peter Brown’s point. Some people think that I have gone quiet on that issue but I have given the Government a chance according to its word to give an explanation about what the money is used for. I believe there will be some good reasons why some of that money is spent on things other than roads. 
Most New Zealanders are not so much concerned about the money not being spent on roads as about lack of accountability and lack of transparency. If Treasury can make a good account of why that money is spent on health or other aspects of the Budget then most New Zealanders will be prepared to put their hands in their pockets to pay for the roads that we desperately need. If we do not see that explanation coming forward very soon I will again join my voice with others in this Chamber who want that accountability and transparency. 
But the facts are that we do need alternative funding to get our roading network built. We need it in Tauranga which needs $500 million worth of roads built within the next 10 years. If we consider that Tauranga’s population is 100000 we have as big a challenge if not bigger than the one Auckland faces with a population of 1 million and a need for $5 billion worth of roads. We have the same challenge in Tauranga. I am pleased to hear the member from Auckland John Key say that he would toll almost anything in order to get the roads built. That is very different from the view of the member for Tauranga who is now campaigning against tolls in order to try to shore up his support in the city and appeal to a small minority of Tauranga residents. 
Most residents in Tauranga want our roads fixed. They see this bill as providing something very practical in order to get our roading infrastructure moved forward. I love going to Germany and driving on the Autobahns but the reality is that the German people pay heavily for that facility. We in New Zealand will have to face up to the facts of what it will cost us to build a 21st century roading infrastructure. 
This bill through tolling provides one of the mechanisms for that alternative funding and it will invite some public-private partnerships. Unlike the member who spoke before me I do know of some companies—some investors—who are very enthusiastic about this bill. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Name them. 
LARRY BALDOCK 
: I will be happy to do that after this speech. I invite the member to come and see me privately and I will be happy to tell him about them. They have not listened to all the hype that has been coming out of the Opposition about how useless this bill is. They have read it for themselves and they have seen the changes that were made during the select committee process. They are very satisfied that this bill now provides a mechanism for them to get involved and invest in New Zealand’s roading. I look forward to that developing in the years ahead. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Make a profit? 
LARRY BALDOCK 
: They will not enter into it unless they make a profit; the member can be assured of that. 
Many people said at the beginning of this bill that it was useless and I have to agree with them in terms of many of its complicated parts but I believe that the select committee has done an excellent job in listening to submitters. The bill has been changed particularly the parts that relate to alternative funding which is the part that United Future has taken most interest in because of our agreement with the Government. It is now a workable bill but it is not the total answer. It is not a silver bullet. 
We need further alternative methods of funding. As I have said before I look forward to working with the Minister to see those provided so that Auckland Tauranga Wellington and even Southland can have the kinds of roads that we should have in this country as a developed nation in the 21st century.