Fenton Darien: Land Transport Management Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Fenton Darien: Land Transport Management Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Sitting date: 01 July 2008. Volume:648;Page:17055. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to take a call in the Committee stage of the Land Transport Management Amendment Bill. As a member of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee I took an Auckland-focused interest in this bill because that is where I live and have worked for many many years and it is where my family live. Over those years I have travelled up and down the pitiful motorways that we had in the 1990s and experienced the years of transport neglect that we saw under past administrations particularly National administrations. It is a great pleasure to see this bill come in on top of all the things that this Government has already done. 
I heard one of the members opposite calling out that Mark Gosche did not take public transport to his place at Greenhithe. He did not say that actually. He said that he drove. If he had wanted to take the bus he could have used the northern busway which is a fantastic investment in the area that I work in on the North Shore. I was present at the opening of the busway. I walked along the motorway with the Prime Minister. 
Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: I thought you worked in South Auckland. 
DARIEN FENTON 
: No I work on the North Shore. I tell Jonathan Coleman to catch up. It was a very proud moment to see the railway on wheels that we have on the North Shore. 
I live in the west of Auckland even though I work on the North Shore. I live in a part of the town that is serviced by the railways. My experience of them has been very interesting. Apart from the fact that my son worked as a ticket collector on the railways for years when he was at university I remember what a mess they were. The railways were single tracks so they were very very slow. The rolling stock that was bought had mud and grass hanging out of it the railway stations were run down—they were not a particularly nice place to be—and the trains ran on single lines. There were years and years of argument about that and about how we would pay for them to be fixed. I am really pleased that one of the provisions in this bill will enable the electrification of rail. The Government of course has already assisted with double tracking of the rail in Auckland. That is well under way and it is making a huge difference. 
The National Party needs to answer some questions about its opposition to this bill. People in Auckland are quite worried about National’s opposition and what it means. How will we pay for the electrification of railways if a future National administration decides it is not a good idea? 
Hon Member 
: It won’t happen. 
DARIEN FENTON 
: Well that is true. We do not have to worry I suppose but these are the questions that are being posed. The other day Brian Rudman in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 said that Mr Williamson should tell us what his party will do in Government if the regional fuel tax becomes law in a few weeks despite National’s opposition to it. 
Hon Mark Gosche 
: They don’t have any ideas and don’t have any policy. 
DARIEN FENTON 
: That is right. That is the problem. National members do not have any ideas and they are not telling anybody what their plans are. It is of great concern to the people who live in Auckland and it is of great concern to the workers of Auckland who are relying increasingly on public transport. We heard a ridiculous display from National members this afternoon. They were trying to pretend that they care about workers. It was just astonishing. It really was one for the books. 
This Government has expanded public transport funding. The Minister said in the House today that funding was frozen at $40 million during the 1990s and now it is 15 times as much as that. But we will have to continue with investment in public transport and that is what this bill enables people in Auckland to do through the contribution of the regional fuel tax. 
I am also interested as one who works on the North Shore in Penlink. 
Hon Member 
: When? 
DARIEN FENTON 
: Has the member not seen my office in Birkenhead? He should come and visit me. I would be happy to welcome him to my office at 88 Birkenhead Road. The Penlink people have come to see me as well. They are very very concerned and I am very very concerned about what might happen if this bill is not passed and the regional fuel tax does not go through. I wonder what Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith will be saying to those people when he has to explain to them next week that National voted against this bill. What will be his answer? What is going to happen next? People from Dr Smith’s electorate are very concerned. They came to our select committee and talked about Penlink and their support for this bill yet their local MP is voting against it. 
I am really pleased as an Aucklander and as someone who has worked there for years and years to see this bill come through and to see some answers for once—building on the years and years of work this Government has done—to our public transport issues.