Key John: Transport Legislation Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Key John: Transport Legislation Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:621;Page:16917] 
JOHN KEY (National—Helensville) 
: 
 I will follow on from the Minister of Transport Pete Hodgson and address Part 2 of the Transport Legislation Bill. I note that there are five clauses in Part 2. It is a relatively simple part of the bill which is followed by the schedules. 
In particular I will traverse the ground of what Part 2 does. It essentially recognises the three independent bodies as they are today—the Ministry of Transport the Land Transport Safety Authority and Transfund—and the fact that each has a part that is policy and a part that is operational. The effect if we like of Part 2 is to strip out operational activities and to put them into one entity. The Ministry of Transport pretty much has a policy element today the Land Transport Safety Authority has both operational and some policy people involved and Transfund also has operational and some policy people. Under this part we will draw those people out and put them collectively in a group of staff at the Ministry of Transport that look at policy. 
Broadly speaking National is supportive of that. I think there is a strong case for saying that across the Ministry of Transport the Land Transport Safety Authority and Transfund various policy people need to be thinking in the right direction. 
Probably a year or so ago before I was on the Finance and Expenditure Committee I sat on the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee. 
Simon Power 
: Those were the days. 
JOHN KEY 
: They were happy times. In that 12 months on the select committee I learnt much about ships from Peter Brown’s many stories he regaled me with as he sat next to me and I made him coffees. With his general swagger as we had a Tim Tam biscuit together he would put his arm around me and share with me some quite interesting stories. It was touching stuff. 
As I reflect back on that time I recall something interesting about the policy work from the Ministry of Transport the Land Transport Safety Authority and Transfund. On one particular day someone came along to the select committee and said that there should be a policy differentiation for Maori New Zealanders due to the impact of emissions on them. I asked the obvious question about why Maori New Zealanders—people of the ethnic grouping of Maori—would be any more affected by emissions than any other New Zealanders. It was a pretty fair question. The answer came back that it was because of some of the places where Maori tended to live and because of all sorts of completely rubbishy reasons. Of course that probably would not happen today post-Orewa.  
But I am at least a little bit concerned to make sure that the policy work that comes out of this new body—because it will be pretty important—as combined and with a cadre of individuals involved in it will be a lot stronger than what we have previously seen. Quite frankly some of the policy has been absolutely complete and utter rubbish. 
I want to talk a little about the schedules—in particular the provision under schedule 2 relating to schedule 4 to repeal clause 27(3) and substitute new clause 3. I would term that the “Mike Williams provision” which states: “To avoid doubt—(a) a person who is a member of the board of one entity may also be a member of the board of the other entity:”. Mike Williams being the Labour Party president is on the board of Transfund— 
Hon Judith Tizard 
: Transit not Transfund. 
JOHN KEY 
: That is right. He decides which roads are built. My apologies to Mr Williams who is on the board of Transit. He is also on the board of TrackCo—obviously he knows a lot about trains. He is actually on quite a number of Government-appointed boards. That provision is put in this bill to remove any doubt whatsoever for Mr Williams. As he looks at his future appointments under a Labour Government—and he no doubt hopes there will be quite a few of them—and as he looks around the “jobs for the boys” schemes rolled out by the Labour Party he will be able to see that under schedule 4 there is no concern for him. He will be able to have many appointments. He will be able to take on a diverse range of Government appointments under that schedule.