Halbert ShananSHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker and thank you for the opportunity this evening to speak on the Land Transport (Vehicles Responding to Electrical Emergency) Amendment Bill. Coming out of that last speech it just shows how the National Party are really focused on the wrong things and this is just another example. This morning we talked about Aotearoa New Zealand as a priority for a debate demanding the debate; He Puapua; gangs. We've got all these things that are not relevant to everyday New Zealanders.But I'll come back to Simeon Brown with respect and congratulations to you Simeon for pulling your member's bill out of the ballot. There is I guess principle in this that I appreciate that you are trying to address—the wellbeing and emergency of certain New Zealanders and this evening we've particularly talked about those in Tāmaki-makau-rau Auckland and I accept that and acknowledge that particular part. I guess the compelling evidence that you're talking about tonight and the reason why you're asking to support this is particularly the issue with congestion in Auckland. I accept the points of Mr Luxon that we have real congestion challenges in Auckland. Nobody's questioning that. The question is: who's getting on and doing the mahi who's doing the work and who's got the plan actually to get things done? I do find it disappointing Mr Luxon that you have a low view of the quality and time spent in our Transport and Infrastructure Committee and I suspect that you should possibly review your conversation in that meeting itself. But what I do know is that the important work that we are focused on in that select committee as an example is going through the process of important matters like the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill. That was a very good piece of work that we worked on collectively to ensure that New Zealanders are safer on the roads. Credit where credit's due.The challenge—and where I say that National is not focused on the right things at the moment and everyone knows it across Aotearoa New Zealand—is that why would we put this particular bill through a select committee process? Why would we take time up in the House to discuss something that we are already able to achieve Mr Brown? And the thing is is what we see in this is that yes New Zealand Transport Agency—there is a discussion that is able to happen to resolve some of the challenges that you're raising. And I ask you: why have you not brought those parties together to come to a solution to work it out and why is it at this stage that Vector has not engaged with the Government agency to seek a resolution should those lives be so important? Because when it's at the cost of lives we just make it happen. We put the politics aside bring the parties together and come to a particular resolution.But coming back to congestion and we keep on talking about the things that we need to do the reality is that the National-ACT Government didn't do anything in transport in Auckland. There was low low investment over that time and that's why we're in the space that we're particularly in now. But congestion can't be solved by shifting parts around. In Auckland anyone that understands transport and congestion—roads are congested at particular parts or times of the day. They're not congested 24/7 right? And so you've got to understand and read the data and read the evidence as to how you decongest our roads at that particular time. And our very important Transport and Infrastructure Committee that I'm signed up to is doing the work to address that particular issue.So coming back to: is congestion the compelling reason why we should support the bright lights of this particular bill? No it's not. It's something that we are able to achieve now Mr Brown and I reach out to you. Encourage these parties to come together. Stop using congestion as the issue; we can make this happen now. The work that we need to do is get on build the infrastructure that we need across Auckland to decongest our roads and make way for those that need them. That's what is important here. We've got to focus on the things that matter and taking up the time of this House taking up the time of select committee is not the best use of the work that we are about to do.