Ross Jami-Lee: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Text is subject to correction 
Ross Jami-Lee: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 01 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4209. Text is subject to correction.] 
JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) 
: 
 One has to be a little concerned about what happens in the Labour Party during the dinner break. Firstly we have got Phil Twyford talking about fetishes then we have got Clare Curran sitting directly behind him talking about people getting bitten on the bum and then we have talk about lemon trees as well and what goes on underneath a lemon tree. I am a bit concerned about what happens in the Labour Party during the dinner break.  
What we know from the speeches that we heard from the Opposition benches is that they are completely missing the point about the economic benefits that transport has for New Zealand. We know that the Labour Party members oppose just about everything we do on the economy. We know they oppose just about every job creation policy we have. And now we also have further proof that everything we want to do that will bring an economic benefit to New Zealand through the transport system they also oppose.  
Let us have some real figures around roads. We know the Opposition dislikes roads. Those members hate roads. They think they are evil. They think every dollar spent on roads is terrible when actually the opposite is true. Let us have some numbers. Six percent of roads in New Zealand carry 35 percent of traffic. They carry 19 percent of freight. These high-use roads need further investment. They did not get the further investment required for the last 9 years but we are putting our money where our mouths are. We are spending an extra $12 billion over the next 10 years—$12 billion on transport and roading infrastructure that would never have been spent if it was up to the Labour Party if it was still in Government. That $12 billion is going towards those high-use roads. Ninety-two percent of freight in this country moves on roads. Freight in this country helps to build the economy in this country and 92 percent of freight would be under-invested in if Labour was in office.  
We have got the priorities right with transport. We have got the priorities right with transport because we know New Zealanders have endorsed our plans. They endorsed our plans during the election. They like what we are doing. The provincial areas in this country have been heavily supported through the roads of national significance and the other National Government roading projects.  
One of the most offensive comments that Opposition parties make on transport is to call the Puhoi to Wellsford road a “Holiday Highway”. The people living in the far north and the people living in Rodney know the economic benefits that road will bring. They know that they need to grow as a local economy up there. They know that moving freight from one part of that local economy to another is important for their future growth. And they know that provincial New Zealand needs investment in roads—the investment we are putting in. The Minister in the chair from Tauranga knows this. Todd McClay from Rotorua knows this. Provincial New Zealand knows that we need further investment in this area. 
 The Labour Party probably woke up after election day last year wondering why it had such a poor result in provincial New Zealand. It had such a poor result in provincial New Zealand because it offends provincial New Zealand by speaking against the important roading infrastructure that we are making progress on around the country.  
Let us take the central business district rail loop because the panacea the great transport hope in New Zealand is the central business district rail loop. The central business district rail loop has a benefit-cost ratio of 0.3. Those members like to go on about the roads of national significance. At least the roads of national significance programme has a positive benefit-cost ratio but the great hope for transport in New Zealand the central business district rail loop has a 0.3 benefit-cost ratio.  
Let us talk about the number of cars that the central business district rail loop would take off the road: 1400 cars. That is all the central business district rail loop would do. For $3 billion we would see 1400 cars taken off the road out of the 29000 car movements every day that we have in Auckland.  
I am an Auckland MP. I know that Aucklanders are very very sceptical about the central business district rail loop. They like the fact that we are putting money into the Waterview Connection instead. They like the fact that we have put money into the Victoria Park Tunnel. They like the fact that we are putting money into the Puhoi-Wellsford project and other roads of national significance. Money going on the central business district rail loop without the numbers stacking up would be a waste. For members opposite to tell us that a project that has a 0.3 benefit-cost ratio is more important—[ 
Bell rung 
] Mr Chairman. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Jami-Lee Ross. 
JAMI-LEE ROSS 
: I will be very short Mr Chairman. I will just say that for members opposite to make comments saying that the central business district rail loop is more important that the roads of national significance is wrong it is poor policy and it has been rejected by New Zealanders.