Macindoe TimHon TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā. Kia ora e Te Whare. Thank you for the call. Just before I resume where I was interrupted last night on Part 2 of this bill can I just make the point to some of the inexperienced new members opposite that we have only had around about an hour of debate so far on Part 2 of the bill and frankly I'm outraged that they're already trying to shut down the debate when members on this side of the Chamber have tabled a large number of amendments many of which have not yet even received a mention let alone an opportunity for debate. So I would anticipate that we would still be debating this at least until early next week and they should instead of trying to shut down debate on an issue of huge importance to New Zealanders right around the country actually get engaged in that debate and justify to their constituents—particularly if they're outside the Auckland area—as to why Part 2 of this bill should suddenly be applying to all of them.As I mentioned I was in mid-flight on Part 2 of this bill when my last call was interrupted. I'd just like to ask while the Minister is in the chair if an answer was provided because I raised what I thought was quite a serious point under the amendments to the Goods and Services Tax Act 1985—this is clause 7 in Part 2—as to whether in fact there was a drafting error. I'm just wondering if the Minister could perhaps indicate by a nod—because I wasn't in the Chamber later—whether he responded to that point.He hasn't responded to that point so I want to repeat my query as to whether in fact the suggestion that in new section 5(6BB) (a) any amount of regional fuel tax … that is paid is treated as being consideration for a supply of services in the course or furtherance of a taxable activity carried on"—and that's the key word here—"by the New Zealand Transport Agency as an agent for and on behalf of the local authority" etc. etc. My query was whether the word "on" is a drafting error because "carrying on" normally implies playing up or acting the goat; it certainly doesn't suggest a sensible piece of legislation and I'm wondering whether the word should have been "out" not "on". I'm sorry that that point hasn't been clarified. I very much hope that it will be because I don't see how the House could be expected intentionally to consider let alone to adopt something that contains a drafting error.Let me return to the point that I was beginning to discuss during my last call and that is relating to the changes to the Local Government Act in clause 10 of Part 2. I was making the point that the new section 34B of that Act specifies something that I think is an appalling deceit because at no point prior to the initial discussions and advocacy from some parts of Auckland for this tax was it ever suggested that it would apply outside the Auckland region yet when one reads section 34B "Additional Information: RFT Schemes" subsection (1) says "The regional council of an RFT region in its annual report must report"—an RFT region. In other words "Here we've suddenly found we've gone well beyond Auckland; this could apply to anybody." I made the point last night: watch out New Zealand because this is coming to a town near you.I am asking how such a deceit which was not consulted upon certainly in my area could suddenly now be adopted into legislation and even—and I dispute this—if it is seen as some sort of solution to Auckland's problems how it can possibly be one—and I'd like to pick up on the point that my good friend Mr Smith the MP for Kaikōura was making last night: how can it possibly be a solution for the people of D'urville Island or of the Awatere Valley who already have to travel huge distances to let's say just get to the shops? To apply such a capricious tax on them in such a sneaky fashion is totally unjustified and yet this is now being written into the Local Government Act without any mandate whatsoever not only from the people of D'urville Island but anywhere else around the country.I ask you not just to take my word for it but to take the word of a former Labour MP the Road Transport Forum Chief Executive Ken Shirley who put out a press statement today describing this as a really bad idea of an Auckland regional fuel tax which has become contagious and is now infecting various other parts of the country. "From 2021" said Mr Shirley "every regional and unitary council in the country can apply to the Government for the right to impose a 10c a litre (plus GST) regional fuel tax on their communities." So I would like to ask the Minister to respond to Mr Shirley's—[Time expired]"