Brown Peter: Financial Review Debate — Procedure In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Brown Peter: Financial Review Debate — Procedure In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:616;Page:11886] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 First I see we have the “old” Minister of Transport in the chair. The rumour was that he could not get out of the chair quickly enough so I am quite pleased to see him sitting there; the perception we have in New Zealand First is that he passed his colleague a hospital pass. 
Transport is not a sexy issue. Politically it is not sexy but it is probably one of the most important portfolios in existence particularly right now. Every mode of our transport has been faced with some sort of problem. We have had problems with Air New Zealand in terms of air traffic we have had problems with Tranz Rail in terms of railways we have had problems with trucks in terms of road transport—particularly in Auckland—and we have had problems with shipping. There has been a shipping review and I am waiting—more so than anybody else—for the Minister of Transport to give me an answer that is not “Soon” when I ask when he is going to implement some policy. Now of course he can say to his colleague: “Tell the member from New Zealand First who keeps showing an interest in shipping ‘Soon’. That is all he needs to know.” 
Our shipping industry is in dire straits. This is an island nation and 99 percent on a tonnage basis of our exports and imports come and go by ship. For us to have no ships running internationally and a coastal shipping service that is falling apart is an absolute disgrace. So I say to the Minister with some sincerity that he should make that “Soon” soon. 
Hon Paul Swain 
: Got the message. 
PETER BROWN 
: The Minister in the chair has got the message. I want to spend part of my contribution tonight in talking about roading in this country. Transit says that its 10-year plan will cost something like $8 billion as I recall but Auckland says it needs $4 billion to $5 billion now. New Zealand First does not want to buy into the eastern highway debate but through the Minister in the chair I will say to the Minister of Transport that we need an urgent injection of money into roading in this country. I do not subscribe one moment to the view of the Greens that if we have decent roads—roads that can do the job—we will get more and more traffic. That is a ridiculous argument in a country of 4 million people. We need roads to service our trucks we need roads to service our private cars and we need roads to service our public transport—particularly buses. Obviously roads will not service the railways although one has to admit that sometimes there is a little bit of concern at the way trains are reported to be running. 
In Tauranga late last year it was estimated and figures were made public that we needed $400 million to upgrade the roading network in that city. Earlier this year that $400 million became $700 million. If I were a betting man I would say that roading costs in Tauranga will be $1 billion or more by the time we actually get around to doing something meaningful about it. We are talking big money. 
New Zealand First believes and we have believed for a long time that the money the Government takes from the petrol motorist—that it siphons off into the consolidated account the Crown account or whatever the Government wants to call it—should go back into roading. The Minister is nodding; that is the first encouraging sign I have seen from this Government on this issue since I have been— 
Hon Harry Duynhoven 
: That’s not true. 
PETER BROWN 
: Harry is a much more pragmatic person— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member will use the Minister’s full name. 
PETER BROWN 
: The Hon Harry Duynhoven is a very pragmatic person and I know he shares the frustration I have—certainly from time to time. Seriously if right now we were given all the money the Government siphons off I do not believe that that would do the job on its own. I believe we are getting very very close now to having to borrow money to get our physical roading infrastructure up to scratch.