5. Question No. 5—TransportHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 5—Transport5. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Transport: Will he rule out a regional fuel tax for the Wellington region?Hon SHANE JONES (Associate Minister of Transport) on behalf of the Minister of Transport: On behalf of the Minister of Transport yes.Hon Paul Goldsmith: What's changed in the last six months since he would only rule out regional fuel taxes outside of Auckland for this parliamentary term and today when the Prime Minister ruled it out for as long as she is Prime Minister?Hon SHANE JONES: What has changed is the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern has just told the nation via the highest court in the land the answer.Hon Paul Goldsmith: When was the decision made to rule out any future regional fuel taxes?Hon SHANE JONES: The law outlines what the options are. The Prime Minister has indicated what the course of travel is. The answer is there are no more options while she's the Prime Minister.Hon Paul Goldsmith: When did he—the Minister of Transport—know this was the new policy?Hon SHANE JONES: The Minister of Transport is well-versed in the law. There was never going to be an option over the next two years and in terms of—Hon Dr Nick Smith: Why did you legislate for it?Hon SHANE JONES: Taiho Nick taiho.SPEAKER: Order! Order!Hon SHANE JONES: The answer has been given by the Prime Minister. There will be no regional fuel tax options.Hon Paul Goldsmith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked a very simple question about when and there was no answer in a timely fashion.SPEAKER: I'll get the member to ask it again.Hon Paul Goldsmith: When did he as Minister of Transport know about this change of policy?Hon SHANE JONES: When the Prime Minister stood up. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Order! I've warned the other side of the House as to their seal-like behaviour. Just try a little bit of dignity.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Was the Minister of Transport responsible for the very law which prohibits the eventuality that the questioner constantly keeps asking about?Hon SHANE JONES: The development of an option for a regional fuel tax is rich in the legacy of the Labour Party. It was initially promoted by Dr Michael Cullen it was picked up by the actual Minister of Transport and the fact that the law clearly states there was no possibility of any other region gaining access to that statutory provision just shows there's too much innuendo being spread by the other side of the House.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Isn't the thing that's changed in the past six months that his Government has finally woken up to the fact that Kiwis are sick and tired of being fleeced by this Government with extra fuel taxes and that he and his colleagues are backpedalling as fast as possible?Hon SHANE JONES: Without a doubt there is great responsiveness on the part of our Cabinet but the most important thing is that this Government does not have control over the amount of oil flowing out of the various oilfields around the world we are not responsible for interest rates set by the federal bank of America and those are the largest contributing factors to the current challenges that we do have as a nation with fuel prices.Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: Can the member confirm that the only thing that has changed in the last six months is that the Opposition has started spreading utterly false information contrary to legislation that prohibits the use of a regional fuel tax and that responses in the House today have been for the sake of clarity in the wake of the Opposition leader throwing down what's called loosely a dead cat"?Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I appreciate that you are often mesmerised by anything the Prime Minister says but that was a question of exceptional and unreasonable length.SPEAKER: While the question was long the member has reflected badly on me in a way that I find unacceptable. As a result of that the Opposition will lose five supplementary questions.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That is a most unreasonable action. In the last two days you've pulled up the Deputy Prime Minister on no less than four occasions requiring him to withdraw and apologise to the House. One of those occasions was a reflection on you and there was no penalty. That can only lead others outside this House to reach their own conclusions about the way the place is being operated.SPEAKER: I want to thank the member for his comments. I think he's just reinforced my determination to stick with my decision. The Hon Shane Jones.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Tough day for the Government—protection from the Chair.SPEAKER: Order! The Hon Gerry Brownlee will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I withdraw and apologise. When the going gets tough you look to your mates.SPEAKER: No no. We're now at the point of last warning for Mr Brownlee and he will withdraw and apologise again. If we have a repeat he will have an early shower.David Seymour: Point of order.SPEAKER: No I'm dealing with this point of order. The member will resume his seat.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It's a sad day when you can't make observations in this House about what you see going on.SPEAKER: Very tempting.David Seymour: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Surely the question was one designed to attack the Opposition which you've ruled out of order many times in the past.SPEAKER: Shane Jones.Hon SHANE JONES: The Prime Minister has rightly identified that there has been misrepresentation there has been rumour-mongering and there has been innuendo which is why the other side of the House have their current dramas.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. What are the requirements for authentication of supplementary questions? We know what they are when it comes to our side of the House and you pulled up the Hon Amy Adams on that very point but you have allowed the Prime Minister to make those accusations without any authentication whatsoever.Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: Speaking to the point of order.SPEAKER: No I don't need the Prime Minister to assist me. On occasions people run into hard luck when the Speaker happens to be listening to a radio in the morning.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That is a reflection from the Chair on this side of the House and I think it deserves some further explanation.Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: Speaking to the point of order I am happy to seek leave of this House to table the transcript in which the very subject matter I was referring to in my supplementary question was canvassed by the Leader of the Opposition where he made the false claim I've referenced.SPEAKER: The Prime Minister—well she hasn't sought leave. You want to seek leave?Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: I'll seek leave if it helps Mr Speaker.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You can't seek leave to table something and at the same time make an accusation. So she's either tabling information and that's it or not at all.SPEAKER: As I've said when I intervened earlier there are some things where you don't need authentication where it's either common knowledge or on occasions my knowledge. In this particular case I did listen to the radio interview where the comments were made.Hon Simon Bridges: I seek leave to make a personal explanation.SPEAKER: Regarding what?Hon Simon Bridges: Regarding the accusation that I said something false.SPEAKER: The Hon Simon Bridges seeks leave to make a personal explanation in relation to the accusations made by the Prime Minister about comments he made on the radio this morning. Is there any objection? There appears to be none.Hon Simon Bridges: This morning on television I made clear that a source had told me that the council in Wellington was talking in some detail to the Government in relation to a regional fuel tax in Wellington. That was then confirmed by the spokesperson for the council who made it very clear that was true. Unfortunately that spokesperson was then heavied out of that position by Mr Twyford and the mayor.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: No no just—the member will sit down. We do have a problem when people are given leave to make a specific personal explanation. The member very deliberately went on beyond what was a personal explanation to relate something which did not relate to what he said and was again an abuse of this process. Now I am quite reluctant to continue this but we have a point of order from the right honourable gentleman.Rt Hon Winston Peters: This point of order relates to the fact that two people on that side of the House were going for a point of order. You did not choose the leader of the National Party; you chose Mr Brownlee. Why was that?SPEAKER: Well I—Hon Gerry Brownlee: I'm much bigger—he saw me first.SPEAKER: Volume—he was louder. I heard him."