King Annette: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and  State Enterprises — In Committee 
King Annette: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and  State Enterprises — In Committee 
[Volume:638;Page:8810] 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 I thank both members who have spoken on the financial review of Land Transport New Zealand. Perhaps those who were listening would be interested to know that the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee reported back to this Parliament that the committee had no matters to bring to the attention of the House. It is rather interesting tonight to note that when members of the select committee had an opportunity to bring matters to the attention of this House they did not take that opportunity; the select committee decided not to bring any matters to Parliament. 
But let us address some of the issues that were raised. Can I say first off to Keith Locke that I agree with him wholeheartedly when it comes to investment into passenger transport. But in my view and in the view of the Government there has to be a balance between roads and public transport. We have not had that. It is fair to say that over many years the balance was very much tipped towards roading in New Zealand and away from other modes of transport—passenger transport the use of coastal shipping rail and so on. The Government has set out first of all to address the deficit that existed not only in investment into roading but also in investment into passenger transport. I remind the member that right throughout the 1990s passenger transport funding for the whole of New Zealand was frozen at $40 million per year. 
That is the public transport legacy of a National Government. This Government has taken seriously the need to invest. In terms of the funding from Land Transport New Zealand we have seen a huge increase in the money going into public transport not only in percentage terms but in total terms—closer to $400 million than $40 million. In looking at passenger transport one has to include the funding that this Government has put into rail. This funding for rail does not come from Land Transport New Zealand; it is not included in the National Land Transport Programme. So the $600 million that this Government is investing into Auckland rail alone is not included in the National Land Transport Programme but is a very important part of the Government’s commitment to passenger transport. 
I agree with the member around particularly the issue of travel plans and around things like walking school buses cycleways and walkways. But I need to say that although this Government has moved so that any new roads including the inner city bypass in Wellington must include cycleways we are faced with the issue of including cycleways on existing roads. It is much harder to retrofit cycleways on existing roads as anyone who has been involved will know. But as the member pointed out there is an approach to increase cycleways and walkways. 
In terms of electrification which the member raised it has been made clear by the Government that electrification of rail in Auckland is very much on the Government’s agenda. However it is not part of Land Transport New Zealand. Any decision on funding of electrification of rail in Auckland will not come out of the National Land Transport Programme. It will come out of the vote related to the State-owned enterprise ONTRACK. So that is not part of this debate tonight. 
David Bennett spoke and he was a very confused member indeed. The only issue he could raise was the ministerial advisory group’s report to the Minister. Of course the previous Minister of Transport was the person who called for the report. Such is the openness of this Government that we said we wanted the advisory group to look at roading construction in New Zealand and what drives the costs. We wanted the group to tell us how it is working and to give us some advice. I accept as the new Minister of Transport that advice. But the group was talking about the actions of Transit New Zealand. In fact the examples it set out are examples from Transit not Land Transport New Zealand. So although the member said he was talking about Land Transport New Zealand which funds of course Transit—so I suppose one could say there was some link—the major part of the group’s report relates to the 10 projects that Transit funds.  
David Bennett 
: I raise a point of order Madam Chairperson. I would like to table a copy of the ministerial advisory group’s report which clearly states Land Transport New Zealand was one of the ones that was— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Please be seated. The member knows that he should not interrupt anyone’s speech for that. He should table that at the end of the speech. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Absolutely. What he is trying to do is to cover up his confusion. His one line of attack was one report—a report that this Government has accepted in terms of its recommendations. The National Government never listened to advice. It did not invest in either passenger transport or roads and it deprived the transport sector year in year out. This Government is serious about building infrastructure in this country; whether it is roads passenger transport hospitals police stations whatever we are committed to it. That member needs to take a grip do a bit more reading and not stick on one report that he has read. 
There are many other reports including the Next Steps review. I have undertaken to follow up not only the ministerial advisory group’s report but the Cabinet committee on Government expenditure and administration reviews carried out by my very good colleague Trevor Mallard. The Government is serious about getting the best value for money we can out of taxpayers’ dollars and we will do that. We will continue to invest in passenger transport and I look forward to the support of the Greens for legislation that makes it much easier to contract for passenger transport. It will be in this House very soon. [ 
Interruption 
]  
The chirpy member is David Bennett who is from Hamilton East an area that benefited from this Government’s putting money into the Waikato which had been deprived for decades under the National Government. When he got the money he said it was not enough. What did “Bob the Builder” from Tauranga say? He said it was fantastic and that people there loved the amount of money the Government had put into the Bay of Plenty. I ask Mr Bennett to thank the Government for that money because he would not have got it from his colleagues. I ask him to have a look at what happened to the Waikato because his party would not invest into passenger transport or roads in his own region. 
I say to members that this Government is serious about transport. Land Transport New Zealand as a Crown entity can always do better and certainly in the Next Steps review we will look at how we can improve not only its performance but that of Transit the Ministry of Transport and other agencies that work with them. I say to members that they can be assured that the Government looks for value for money we look to invest and we look to get the best out of the money that taxpayers put in for all of New Zealand not just one part of New Zealand.