King Colin: Land Transport Management Amendment Bill — First Reading 
King Colin: Land Transport Management Amendment Bill — First Reading 
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COLIN KING (National—Kaikoura) 
: 
 In speaking to the Land Transport Management Amendment Bill I take considerable comfort from the knowledge and recognition of Maurice Williamson who commented that National’s opposition to the bill is as much about what is not in the bill as what is in the bill. National objects to the Government’s intention to put forward a bill to raise another excise tax. The Government is sitting on huge surpluses but has no intention to offset that excise tax. 
National also takes exception to the contribution provision of the regional fuel tax that would be directed into public transport especially from the point of view of the regions. There has been a lot of talk about the needs of the cities and National appreciates that fact but this bill totally overlooks the needs of the regions. 
There is a lack of any ability in this bill to consider what this country certainly needs—that is the creation of public-private partnerships. New Zealand is one of the few countries in the OECD that does not have any public-private partnerships around roading. On that basis National finds little difficulty in objecting to this bill. In saying that I agree that there are certainly some quite laudable things in the bill. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: What’s your policy “Eight Ball”? 
COLIN KING 
: I point out to members on the other side of the House that self-praise is no recommendation because when we look at the problems we are presently facing in the transport infrastructure and so on we see that the status quo or the present situation is entirely failing New Zealand. The  
Next Steps in the Land Transport Sector Review 
 report comments that the current situation is not “fully delivering” and that there are gaps between the “vision and the broad objectives” and there are “confused accountabilities”. So the Government has entitled the review Next Steps but in effect we have a failing economy mainly because we do not have an adequate infrastructural road system. Although we talk about the failed roading system in Auckland costing a billion dollars it is probably costing equally as much throughout the country. 
The New Zealand economy is performing pretty ordinarily. It is in urgent need of an efficient roading system. I want to talk about some of the challenges that we are facing in the provincial areas of New Zealand where we are totally ignored in relation to the ability to raise funds and prioritise things so that we can get them done properly. We are confronted with geographical limitations—like the insurmountable Alps and whatever—and with regional requirements and we need more funding in the regions so that we can get some of the infrastructure up to standard. On State Highway 1 along the east coast of the South Island we have the problem of trucks tipping over. The problems are enormous there and that is limiting this country’s economy. We are sitting in the Chamber discussing this Land Transport Management Amendment Bill but we have a long way to go on the issue. 
Roading ranges over a whole set of things—highways byways and streets. Every function of human society revolves around roading like dropping kids off at school taking produce to the port or to the works trucking and dealing in traffic around tourists. We need roading infrastructure that is a lot better. On that basis what shape are we presently in after 8 years of Labour? We are not in good shape. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: We haven’t sold one road—not one road. 
COLIN KING 
: As I said before self-praise is no recommendation. One would be struggling and stretching the truth to say New Zealand has a first-class roading infrastructure. When we consider the consequences of what is occurring on the main State highways we know we are in serious deficit. Sure money has been put in in that direction but it has not shown any benefit. 
Hon Member 
: Has that member been to Seddon lately—seen the new bridge we’ve built down there? 
COLIN KING 
: After 8 long years of Labour we still have a single-lane bridge over the Hurunui with regard to the experience of trucks rolling over. 
In this country we have very low-cost road infrastructure requiring high maintenance and we are using poor materials. I received an email today from a motor cyclist complaining about the cut-cost measures on State Highway 1 of putting wire ropes as guard rails. Has anybody stopped to think what this might do in terms of safety? It is not safe; it is dangerous. At the end of the day we really have some serious problems. I doubt whether this bill will get to the select committee but a lot more could have been done to get provisions in this bill to move the job forward. As I said it is more about what is not in the bill than what is in the bill. That is why National will vote against it. 
The strategic development of New Zealand’s roading infrastructure is enormously important to the economy. This is what brings us back to this Land Transport Management Amendment Bill. In terms of roading problems we agree that road transport needs increased funding but we are opposed to the Government raising another tax to fund roading when it is sitting on massive recurring surpluses. Only 18 months ago we paid 5c in regional R funding and when we gave it away we believed we would be able to get it back and do regional development. But then we got the rules from the Government saying we would have to match it with another 5c. Again we are seeing a Government that does not play straight and true with its requesting of funds. So National will oppose this bill on the basis that we are not seeing the flexibility that would be appropriate. 
I would be quite interested in the suggestion that there would be some flexibility around the raising of a petrol excise tax if we could use it in the regions. Unfortunately that is not the case. It has to be a situation whereby 50 percent of it goes into public transport and I tell members that most of regional New Zealand is not really crying out for public transport. When we go to the Hurunui or Kaikoura to anywhere in Marlborough to Wanganui or to the inner parts of Southland we do not see that demand. 
In fact we would like to have the opportunity to use a fund of that nature to replace things. In Marlborough 280 wooden bridges have to be repaired but more money goes out of Marlborough than has ever come into it. The regions are doing well in spite of the Government not because of the Government. The Government should bear that in mind and be warned because when we look at the situation in the House we see very few Labour representatives from the regions. 
So it is quite appropriate that somebody from the regions wraps up this debate on the Land Transport Management Amendment Bill. National looks forward to the voting down of the bill. The bill is as much about what is not in it as about what is in it. When I look at the whole structure of things I think that it would probably be wrapped up best by the concerns expressed by Local Government New Zealand which reported that “a concern about possible additional costs for regions and land transport committees as a result of the new prioritisation was expressed by these people”; and that “a number of public and private sector parties consulted had concerns about the efficiency and effectiveness of the differentiated regional fuel tax regime.” So on balance National will oppose the bill for a number of reasons. On that basis I thank the House for the opportunity of replying to members on the other side of the House.