White HelenHELEN WHITE (Labour—Mt Albert): Thank you Madam Speaker. I didn't know it was a split call but I'll keep to the five minutes. I want to talk a little bit about what I've seen in this House today on this bill. Because as you know the Labour Party is supporting this bill because it was agreed that the time had come to put back on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids some of the cost of roads. The reason that the exemption was made was it is a very serious issue that we face that we are still dependent on petrol and diesel vehicles to the extent we are.I have noticed the behaviour in the House today particularly the reaction to the Greens' speakers and I'm not impressed because what we have there is a constant reaction of suggesting things like that—there is a sort of insinuation that people who have had the benefit of the different regime have somehow not been paying their fair share. So I want to talk a little bit about what that means because what has been happening here from the Labour Party is we've tried to seek balance in the response we've had. We've supported this bill but I don't want anyone to not think that there's an issue with regard to having a petrol vehicle rather than an electric one.One of the things that I think goes under the radar a little bit is the pollution issue. There was a report out last year—so well after the signal and the commitment was made to look at the vehicles to 2 percent and then revise this charge that we bring in today—that went to Cabinet from the Ministry of Transport and it talked about the cost to New Zealand society of that kind of pollution that comes from vehicles that are petrol and diesel. I think that hopefully many of us are familiar with the kinds of particulate matter that comes out of those vehicles and what that causes. So that particulate matter is causing cancers and it's causing respiratory issues. Then there is your carbon monoxide. Now carbon monoxide—95 percent of the emissions from New Zealand come from our cars and that causes things like heart issues and brain issues. So it is very very serious for people. Then there's the nitrogen oxide which causes respiratory issues. So again those are very serious. Now that is estimated by the Ministry of Transport to mean that there are 9200 hospital admissions as a result of that and the cost in childhood asthma is 13200 childhood asthma cases and the social cost is $10.5 billion.These are costs that when we talk about fair share we don't really have any capacity to estimate. So when I hear words like You've got to pay your fair share if you're an electric vehicle owner" I think it's really important that we honour electric vehicle owners for the fact that they're not putting those things into the atmosphere so that they are not responsible for the childhood asthma that I would see as a real issue in the inner city of Auckland including in my electorate of Mt Albert. It's a very serious issue. So when I hear the gaffawing on the other side of the House with regard to some of these things and the self-congratulatory tone I get worried that those issues are being pushed underground. I hope that I am not right. Hon Shane Jones: Relevance! Relevance! Come back to the bill.HELEN WHITE: It's absolutely relevant Minister. It's absolutely relevant because what I'm talking about is a very difficult balance that we have to strike here. We have in the Labour Party recognised as an issue the need to pay for roads in this country—and I note the Brynderwyn is open this weekend and they're vital places—but at the same time I seek a more mature response from the other side. So rather than be self-congratulatory it would be nice if there's a recognition—Hon Members: Aw! Aw!HELEN WHITE: —and arrogant; it would be nice if there was a recognition of the issues that underline this and an attempt to actually work with others on what is a fundamental issue in New Zealand. And it is very very important that we work as a Parliament on that and that we do not divide on something that is so important. I mentioned childhood asthma I mentioned cancer. There is a myriad of environmental issues that could be mentioned as well. I commend this bill to the House"