SpeechBRETT HUDSON (National): I didn't quite realise I'd be standing so quickly but what a deep and meaningful contribution from the member that's just resumed her speech Priyanca Radhakrishnan. It's probably one of the better Labour speeches we've heard over these past three years if we're truly honest about the situation. But let's actually get on to the actual piece of legislation the Land Transport (NZTA) Legislation Amendment Bill.Broadly let's be very clear we support the bill and we broadly support the provisions in it. We've supported the recommendations that have come from the MartinJenkins report into the regulatory practices in the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). I would make the point for the Minister of Transport—I don't think he was too pointed with his comments but you know people could be interpreting these—that the review into the NZTA didn't find any lack of focus on safety; in fact they found that the people there were passionate and dedicated to road safety and our land transport system. But none the less there were still areas that needed improvement in some cases quite significant improvement and so here we are with this bill. I just want to talk about the speed management aspects of it. I welcome the register and particularly the idea that the public will be able to know and look up what limits will apply in any given section of road that they may traverse at times or even frequently. I'm a little bit worried though about—well I appreciate that it makes it somewhat easier for road-controlling authorities shall we say local authorities to manage speed management plans in their areas areas obviously which they know better. What I worry a little bit about is creeping inconsistency across the country on where or on what type of road and what environment and what sort of mixed setting what speed may or may not apply. New Zealanders do like to travel. At the moment we want New Zealanders to travel all throughout their country to help other regions in domestic tourism. I think it is important that there is consistency of approach and therefore consistency of speeds that New Zealanders can anticipate as they travel through their own regions but also across others. I'd also note that the NZTA themselves are not without some blame here as well. I could give one example. I won't take too much away from my colleague Stuart Smith who I'm sure is going to talk about this also. But for instance this proposed speed reduction between Renwick and Nelson down largely in his patch of Kaikōura. It's one that's very difficult to justify. In fact he might talk about a non-scientific test that he undertook with I believe our transport spokesperson in the car illustrating just how safe that road was to drive at the current limit. So what we don't want for speed management plans—or the ability for the NZTA to overrule them—to result in is a creeping reduction in people's ability to get around at reasonable pace—a lot of people and goods—and that they can do so safely. We don't want to see a creeping excuse to simply reduce limits because one or two people inside a Government agency or a road-controlling authority want to believe it's a good idea. Where we do these things they should be purely for reasons of safety and they should be things that can be evidenced and accepted. Because the reality is the NZTA with speed cameras or police with their roving patrols cannot patrol every motorist across New Zealand doing what speed at what time on what stretch of road. We actually need voluntary compliance. I would contend we get voluntary compliance when the motorists can see the practical connection between what they're being asked to do and their perception of the road the conditions at the time and what to their mind is a very reasonable speed to travel at. So we need to make sure that what we make easy to do for good reasons doesn't creep into the sorts of practices which might erode voluntary compliance which we actually need to help promote safety on our roads. I commend the bill to the House.