7. Transport Infrastructure—Regional Fuel Tax Impact and Fuel Price IncreasesJAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of TransportTransport Infrastructure—Regional Fuel Tax Impact and Fuel Price Increases7. JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by all his statements and actions on fuel taxes?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): Yes when described and reported accurately. Jami-Lee Ross: What action will he take to ensure that people in Southland aren't directly impacted by regional fuel taxes in Auckland ending up pushing up fuel prices around the rest of the country as a result of price spreading? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well this Government has made its attitude to price spreading very clear to the fuel companies. We have initiated changes to the Commerce Act which will give the Commerce Commission more teeth to deal with anti-competitive behaviour. My colleague the Hon Megan Woods has called in BP to make it very clear what our attitude is to anti-competitive behaviour. I think the fuel companies will be in no doubt as to how they will be treated if price spreading takes place. Jami-Lee Ross: Will he provide a guarantee to New Zealanders living outside of Auckland that they will not be impacted by price spreading as a result of his Government's actions? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: No but I will provide a guarantee that this Government won't waste billions of dollars of taxpayers' money on a few hand-picked gold-plated expressways in the main urban centres as that Government did for nine years. Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: Has the Minister seen any reports of action the last Government took to stop the unscrupulous behaviour of fuel companies under their watch for nine years? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Actually none. Jami-Lee Ross: What reports has that Minister seen of unscrupulous behaviour by his Government in ramping up fuel prices and taxes on New Zealanders by 25c a litre? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: None but I have seen reports of a Government that is willing to institute a transport policy that spends money rationally right across the country right across the transport system and doesn't pork barrel billions of dollars of taxpayers' money on a few gold-plated expressways. Hon Julie Anne Genter: Can he confirm that while fuel taxes increased by 17c a litre under the last National Government the amount of spending on roads in Southland and many other regional areas declined significantly? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Thank you for that question. I can conclude that spending on transport in Southland was reduced significantly over the last nine years under that Government. Local roads were neglected and I can tell the member that under our Government policy statement spending on transport will increase in every single region in this country. Jami-Lee Ross: Can he confirm that while his Government Ministers—the Associate Minister is so concerned about fuel price increasing by 17c a litre in nine years while his Government's putting up fuel prices by 25c a litre in three years? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well the reason is that this Government is committed to investing in growth. We believe in investing in infrastructure to get ahead of growth. We will not allow people to continue to die on the roads because that Government refused to invest in local and regional roads. We will not allow the people in our major urban centres to waste hundreds of hours every year sitting in gridlock because of a failure over nine years to invest in economic growth and good transport systems. Marja Lubeck: What other statements has he seen about the regional fuel tax? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I saw a statement this morning out of the select committee hearing in Auckland by Mayor Phil Goff who said that the failure to pass the regional fuel tax will consign Auckland to a permanent future of gridlock. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I ask the Minister as to whether his Government will continue the removal of the rural road subsidy which was the inherited position the Government got into after the last election? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Our Government's committed to a 50 percent increase in spending on local roads and local road maintenance. We won't stand by and allow the infrastructure deficit to continue that saw regions all over this country starved of the funding that they need to maintain their local roads.