Utikere TangiLAND TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT (REPEAL OF REGIONAL FUEL TAX) AMENDMENT BILLFirst ReadingDebate resumed from 27 February.TANGI UTIKERE (Labour—Palmerston North): Kia orana Mr Speaker. Thank you for the call. We will be opposing this bill under urgency. This is a bill that seeks to essentially repeal a scheme that is targeted to a part of the country that is in need of transportation as an area of focus. This is a regional fuel tax (RFT) that has a purpose: it has provision for the funding of roads it has a provision for the funding of buses it has the provision for the funding of the very things that communities of interest all around Aotearoa New Zealand expect. That should not be the reason as to why Auckland as our biggest city should be penalised for that.Many of the vital transport projects that are listed as beneficiaries of this scheme will now be at risk. This is an example of the coalition Government that is seeking to do nothing but force Auckland into a corner. This will result in cuts to critical transport projects that will make a huge difference. What it will mean for that community is that they will have to turn their mind to either not proceed with many of these transport projects or to look at alternative funding mechanisms such as an increase to rates. When Auckland is faced with increases to rates alongside water issues and the like it is far from ideal.This is an example of a Government that clearly has no eye towards the future. This is an example of a Government that has no new ideas and the only aspect of new funding that is coming Auckland's way is a 22c increase to the fuel excise duty and a 50 buck increase in the form of a drivers tax that will be placed on registrations when folks go to register their licence for their vehicle.What's really interesting is that this is a bill a proposal that had no regulatory impact statement. What we hear from the coalition Government is that anything that's subject to their 100-day plan is not subject to a regulatory impact statement and that's very very unfortunate indeed. But what there is in front of this House is a departmental disclosure statement. For the benefit of those who are tuning in at home what that is is it effectively is an independent assessment or analysis in the absence of a regulatory impact statement that focuses on many things. One it is very important because one of the things that it touches on are the potential costs and potential risks of this proposed change. When we have a look at it we see that it was prepared towards the end of January 2024. So Minister Simeon Brown knew about all of this stuff at that time and he's been sitting on it for a wee while. But it's also been prepared by the independent Ministry of Transport.When we have a look at this particular disclosure statement what it identifies there is that removing the RFT will result in modest savings for households and businesses in Auckland and that that figure comes out to around $1.85 for each motorist that's going to use it—$1.85. When this is a Government that is focusing on measures to apparently address cost of living pressures—$1.85. I can tell members opposite I had a look at what you could get for $1.85 in Auckland—Hon Member: You tell us.TANGI UTIKERE: —and I'll tell the House. What they could get is a 227g of Dole crushed pineapple. That is what this tax is about. Actually well the repeal of this tax is going to provide cost of living support in the form of a 225g—that's a small can. And people like pineapple but we are talking about a small amount there. If this is a Government that is serious about addressing cost of living pressures this is not the way to go for Auckland. So this is from the independent departmental disclosure statement that identifies that—it also says that Removing the RFT is unlikely to have a substantive impact on households and this change would need to be made alongside other interventions in order to reduce [that pressure]."Shanan Halbert: What's the point?TANGI UTIKERE: My colleague Shanan Halbert says "What is the point?" Well that is a very good question because we are still waiting for the answer. This is a stupid piece of legislation which is becoming actually in the vein of this coalition Government—they like to do things that are stupid in nature. So we will look through these individual projects as we progress through the committee of the whole House stage and others but on this side of the House we are not prepared to support something that will bring no cost relief to the people of Auckland."