SpeechANDREW FALLOON (National—Rangitata): Thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity this afternoon to take a call on the Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill. But before I do get into my contribution I'd just like to acknowledge that there are 28 people unfortunately now who have come down with the COVID-19 virus and I just want to pass on our best to them and to their families and of course to the health professionals who are doing such a fantastic job. So I do want to turn to the bill now. It is a quite simple bill actually and quite a straightforward one and my colleague Brett Hudson has outlined some of the reasons why we'll be supporting it this afternoon. But the reason I want to take a call today is because I do find it quite strange that here we are dealing with this COVID-19 virus and yet here we are in this Parliament discussing the Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill. I accept that there are some changes here that need to be made and Paul Eagle our colleague across the House has touched on some of those in relation to the Chatham Islands. But is it the most pressing issue that this Parliament has to deal with right now? Is it the Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill? That said I do just want to run through some of the provisions in this bill and there are three aspects to it as we've heard. They are enabling transport instruments clarifying exemption and revocation powers and other minor regulatory stewardship matters. One of the reasons that I'm supporting the bill at least at first reading is because the bill talks about greater efficiency being brought to a number of regulatory transport agencies. And of course one of those transport agencies that we have in New Zealand is the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). My view is that they do actually need to be improved somewhat and certainly have some greater efficiency brought to them because you know if I look across the country at the moment at some of the very substantial transport issues that we have in this country a lot of them just are not getting done. Right next to me here I have my colleague Matt Doocey of course who's been lobbying for a very long time for the Woodend bypass which is a much-needed project for road safety in North Canterbury. It hasn't been done. The Government of course have announced a very substantial transport programme across the country. It's largely ignored Canterbury and certainly ignored Woodend. Another one in my part of the world where this greater efficiency needs to be brought to bear is there's an intersection at the corner of State Highways 1 and 79. It's in the town of Rangitata rather than the electorate of Rangitata but it is a serious concern. There were more crashes there last year alone than there were in the previous five years. So my view is that NZTA at least do need to be more efficient do need to do a better job at some of those things and in responding to some of those issues.The other one of course in my part of the world is State Highway 1 between Ashburton and Christchurch which is—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Ruth Dyson): I'm sorry Mr Falloon. I'm sorry to interrupt. It's a very interesting contribution. Could you just advise me which part of the bill is dealing with the Woodend bypass or Rangitata?ANDREW FALLOON: I'm referring to the greater efficiency of regulatory transport agencies which is in the bill and of course NZTA is a transport agency. My view is of course that they do need to do a better job across the country. One of those things is efficiency because if they're spending too much money on governing themselves and on being an efficient—unfortunately they don't have enough money for some of these projects around the country. One of those is Woodend one of those is the Rangitata intersection and of course one of those is the road between Ashburton and Christchurch. Mr Brett Hudson talked earlier about increasing board size. That intrigued me actually because if this bill is talking about making our transport agencies more efficient I would have thought the last thing you'd want to do actually is to be increasing board size because as he so eloquently pointed out when you do increase board size that often has the complete opposite effect of increasing efficiency. Larger boards—certainly any boards getting more than about 12 or 15 people—do start creating more work for themselves than they're actually doing in terms of governance and so I do worry about increasing board size and the effect that will have on the efficiency of those agencies.I do just want to finish up though—as I mentioned before Mr Paul Eagle our colleague across the House referred to the Chatham Islands Council and how perhaps there was a slight oversight when legislation was passed several years ago. I would just say to Mr Eagle that look we are fallible on this side of the House. If that's the largest mistake that we made in nine years then I'll certainly accept that—certainly when you compare it to some of the mistakes that this Government's made in just the first 2½ years that they've been in Government. So I'll put it this way: I'll never forget the Chatham Islands Mr Eagle because I've visited there once. Dr Duncan Webb: They wouldn't forget you.ANDREW FALLOON: Well hopefully they won't forget me actually. I caught quite a lot of blue cod when I was over there so it is a place that is close to my heart. It does take a little while to get used to that 45-minute time zone but it's a great place. I am pleased that this bill is going to restore their authority to be considered as a regional council and so for now at least I commend it to the House.