Doocey MattMATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri): Thank you very much Madam Speaker. It's a pleasure to rise on behalf of the National Party in support of the Road User Charges (Temporary RUC Reduction Scheme) Amendment Bill. Let's be very clear: this bill's passing tonight in its third reading is a win for the National Party. The National Party got this win over the line for hard-working New Zealanders. The National Party prosecuted the issue of the cost of living crisis when the Government wouldn't even mention the word. They wouldn't even mention the word and here we were standing up for New Zealanders speaking on their behalf because we knew things were getting tough for hard-working Kiwis especially at the petrol pump. The Government has come kicking and screaming dragging their heels. They wouldn't even accept there was a crisis and then what happened? A poll came from above and spoke to them and isn't it interesting that the knee-jerk reaction was tax relief—everything they had denied for days on end. Let this be a warning because the public have now a taste for this—for standing up for themselves and asking to keep their hard-earned dollar in the back of the pocket. So this won't be a one-off let me predict. The public will start standing up more and demanding that they get more tax relief for the cost of living crisis. I will put money on it. I'll bet the Minister here a steak and cheese pie that very soon this Government will address the creep in tax bracket scope that National has been calling for because the call for tax relief will only grow louder and louder. It's fascinating. Here they were denying a crisis. Here they were saying that they would never give tax relief because of course it's not in their DNA. But of course there was a poll and straight away a knee-jerk reaction—here we go. Well I shouldn't say straight away" because as we've traversed over this night it has been several weeks to drag them kicking and screaming into the House to deliver this bill. I fundamentally disagree with comments in the House tonight that when we say that maybe you could do more in tax relief then that is incompatible with saying that we don't want roads cut because I'll tell you what there's a lot more expenditure that could be targeted at the expense of tax relief. The light rail for example—tens of billions of dollars. I'll tell you what being a South Islander and a regional New Zealander nothing annoys hard-working regional New Zealanders more than watching their hard-earned road-user charges going into the National Land Transport Fund and being siphoned off for pet public transport projects in Auckland—and finally they're getting some relief. But if you want to cut some things don't make it the roads. How about the billions for light rail? How about the billions for a bribe for three waters? What about half a billion dollars for restructuring the health system in the middle of a pandemic? They're the things that need to be cut. I'll tell you what what great news it was as my learned colleague Simeon Brown said about the announcement of Ōtaki to Levin tonight? But isn't there some cynicism with that because you'd argue why did they delay it for six years if they were going to do it? Ōtaki to Levin—why has it been delayed and the nerve of them to stand up and say "No worries it's going ahead." all because something's happening. It's called a poll—it's called a shift of vote. Everything they've rallied against—watch them—will all just blow away in the wind as they finally start listening to Kiwis because you can't have your head in the sand too long and be arrogant like this Government is. New Zealanders were saying to them that things were getting too expensive but those members couldn't say the word "crisis". They were in denial until we had that poll. So it is a good thing—and good on them—but in fact this wasn't their idea. It wasn't their decision. It was forced upon them. I acknowledge the other parties in the House that are voting for this bill tonight because it's a good win for the Opposition. What has been good about it as well is those things we got accused of doing tonight: the pesky questions. Good on the pesky questions because that's our job as parliamentarians. We stand up and we ask the hard questions. It's not fun in Opposition. You don't get to do much because that's the job of the Government. That's why everyone wants to be on the Treasury benches. But I'll tell you what you don't walk away because it's tough. You stand up and you raise the issues and that's what the Opposition has done with this bill. That's what the Opposition has done tonight and I'll tell you what the Opposition has got a taste for it now as well just as much as the country has. Those members can sit there tonight and say "Oh job done. We've reduced the road-user charges for three months and cut the excise for three months and given a few bus tickets out." but they know as much as we do on this side of the House that things are a lot more in train aren't they? This is all where it's going to go because Kiwis have now a taste for this. As the Hon David Bennett said tonight "Really? Is the Cabinet going to meet and decide to increase this?" That will be fascinating with all the income cost pressures we have and inflation. One thing I will leave the House with. I started with a quote in my speeches in the readings earlier on from Brad Olsen who said "Inflation isn't an offshore problem that New Zealand is caught up in." because we all know it's not is it? The issue here in New Zealand is domestic inflation. You only need to see the last quarter of 2021 to know that. But what I will leave the House and the Government with is another quote from independent economist Cameron Bagrie. What he said was that "Now is not the time for a big spending 2022 Budget. It will only add to the excess demand and inflation." Thank you Madam Speaker."