6. Public Transport Auckland—Government Initiatives to Address Capacity Constraints and Auckland Regional Fuel TaxPHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister of TransportPublic Transport Auckland—Government Initiatives to Address Capacity Constraints and Auckland Regional Fuel Tax6. PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister of Transport: Does he agree with the Auckland Transport Alignment Project that bus improvements can only address capacity constraints in central Auckland for up to 10 years and a higher capacity mode like light rail will be required?Hon CRAIG FOSS (Associate Minister of Transport) on behalf of the Minister of Transport: The Auckland Transport Alignment Project concluded that the constraints on key corridors in the central isthmus can be best managed through bus efficiency improvements over the next 10 years. A higher capacity mass transit solution whether it be bus or light rail will be required in Auckland between 2028 and 2038. As the Minister of Transport said yesterday officials have not yet determined what the best mass transit solution may be with light rail being but one of the options amongst others including a high-tech rapid bus option. It is important that officials do this work before politicians leap in as Labour already has because as we have seen overseas recently light rail projects are highly susceptible to multibillion-dollar cost blowouts.Phil Twyford: Will he rule out bringing forward light rail on Dominion Road into the 2018 to 2028 decade?Hon CRAIG FOSS: I will rule in letting the agreed process follow its course and not having Opposition MPs and Ministers who are running campaigns in various electorates interfere and disrupt good process. This National Government can look taxpayers and rate payers in the eye given that it takes great care in spending their hard-earned money.Phil Twyford: Given that his Auckland Transport Alignment Project says that rapid transit is needed on Dominion Road it has agreed a higher capacity mode like light rail will be needed over buses and that demand would justify it happening in the first decade; why will he not just agree with Labour and Auckland Council that light rail is needed now?Hon CRAIG FOSS: Well in fact I do agree with the Labour member. In fact the Auckland Council member Michael Wood was exactly right last year when he said that light rail was not a fully formed proposal and he was protesting that we do not yet have any clear information about funding. I also agree with the Auckland Council and the press release that said Auckland and Government must align on transport. I also agree with former Auckland Mayor Len Brown who said: Auckland's growth means government and council need to put aside politics agree the facts design the responses and jointly deliver transport investment across Auckland."Phil Twyford: Can he confirm that the Auckland regional fuel tax abolished by his Government would have raised more than $900 million by now and if his Government had not spent the last 5 years rejecting Auckland Council's proposals for revenue generation there would be enough money in the fund to build light rail now?Hon CRAIG FOSS: On the contrary the funds raised from the excise duties across Auckland have been poured into the roading infrastructure across Auckland—a multibillion-dollar investment. I am quite sure that the around 77 percent of those in the area board of Mt Roskill who use private transport every day are probably enjoying the investment in the roading from this National Government.Phil Twyford: Can he name one new significant piece of public transport infrastructure that his Government has initiated in the last 8 years that was not planned and signed off by the former Labour Government?Hon CRAIG FOSS: Off the top of my head no but there is a difference between talking and saying and actually raising the funds paying for and building billions of dollars of investment in rail and billions of dollars of investment in Auckland roading infrastructure accounted for announced and paid for—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister answered the question initially; it did not need much more substantiation.Phil Twyford: Is this not just the City Rail Link all over again—National holding back Auckland's growth and prosperity out of bloody-minded opposition to Labour's policies?Hon CRAIG FOSS: Labour's policies actually helped lead New Zealand and Auckland in particular into recession albeit 6 or 7 years ago. National's policies have allowed surplus investment in infrastructure such as rail and such as road across Auckland. If Labour were to be able to implement its policies in Government we would see exactly what we saw from 2006 to 2008: an absolute economic shambles."