Duynhoven Harry: Third Readings 
Duynhoven Harry: Third Readings 
[Volume:622;Page:17243] 
Hon HARRY DUYNHOVEN (Minister for Transport Safety) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to speak to this legislation which is divided into four bills as it completes its third reading. I say to the member who has just resumed his seat who I believe represents the electorate of North Shore that he began his speech with a fairly lacklustre attack on the Government for taking as he said 5 years to do something about reducing congestion in Auckland and so on. I was really surprised that Dr Mapp did not give credit where it was due. After all the previous National Government which he was a member of took 9 years and achieved virtually nil. Last week this Government let the contract for the new North Shore busway in his own electorate and he did not seem to know about that. That particular contract will ensure that a lot of North Shore commuters commute in a much speedier time when the new North Shore busway is built. So I was a bit surprised to hear that criticism. I have always thought of the member as a pretty decent sort of a joker and I would have thought he would give credit where it was due. I guess politics will always get in the way of the facts regardless of how good the argument may be. 
This transport legislation which is now in its third reading is about delivering an affordable integrated safe responsive and sustainable transport system for New Zealand by 2010. As the Minister for Transport Safety safety has been one of the things I have been particularly involved in. I am very much aware of some of the criticisms that some folk particularly from the aviation industry have made with regard to the removal of the “safety at reasonable cost” provision that was in the previous legislation. Many commentators talked about a diminution of safety but the real message behind that was the second part of the phrase—“at reasonable cost”. Some folk were very concerned that we may as a result have safety at unreasonable cost. Certainly some of the commentary from Opposition members has been about that. 
Let me assure members that safety has not been diminished. It is obviously a key part of the Government’s role. Indeed the Prime Minister and Cabinet have appointed me to the new position of Minister for Transport Safety in order that we continue to have the focus on safety that I have voiced throughout my parliamentary career. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Are you the first? 
Hon HARRY DUYNHOVEN 
: I am indeed the first-ever Minister for Transport Safety in New Zealand. This legislation is not only about continuing the focus on safety but also about broadening the objectives and functions of the Civil Aviation Authority and the Maritime Safety Authority in order to align with the objectives of the New Zealand Transport Strategy. Those who have been concerned about that development may like to note that we were a little on our own with regard to the wording that we had. Other countries have for many years had a similar approach to the one that our transport legislation now takes. 
This legislation effectively dissolves the Land Transport Safety Authority and Transfund New Zealand and replaces them with a new Crown land transport entity known as Land Transport New Zealand. It integrates safety funding with other land transport funding. The Transport and Industrial Relations Committee which I chaired in the previous Parliament has a long history of acting very responsibly and in most cases in a united fashion in terms of processing legislation such as this. It took on board concerns raised during the passage through the committee of the Transport Legislation Bill. Where concerns were raised the committee carefully considered them made recommendations for improvement and further refined the bill. It is pleasing to me that the changes have been largely technical in nature. The committee has responded to the concerns about the prominence of safety and has ensured that the full range of New Zealand Transport Strategy objectives are considered in rule making. Rule making is certainly an area that is a large part of the work I am involved with. The changes to the original bill are about ensuring that the policy principles underlying the legislation continue rather than representing any significant changes in focus or direction. Safety will be retained at reasonable cost. Safety at unreasonable cost clearly will not occur because that would be challenged. 
New Zealand in the 21st century has developed considerably since legislation on transport was first put in place. We have a huge number of competing goals that sometimes see complementary solutions. I am very pleased that this legislation will get New Zealand moving again. I am pleased that the Government sees that New Zealanders should be well served by an integrated affordable safe and sustainable transport system. As the Minister for Transport Safety members can be sure that I will do my utmost to ensure that safety remains at the core of that. 
I am concerned that in an area where one would think we should have for the greater good of our country some unanimity in Parliament we get at times into the business of seeing minority reports on what is essentially quite straightforward legislation. This legislation is about assisting economic development assisting safety and personal security improving access and mobility protecting and promoting public health and ensuring environmental sustainability. All of those one would consider are worthwhile objectives for any modern nation to espouse adopt and get on with. I see this legislation as doing exactly that. Those five objectives are very important for the future development of our country. I think that in the future we will look back in history and say that this legislation was a turning point for the better that ensured the continuing development in a sensible manner of our transport system.