Genter Julie AnneHon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Associate Minister of Transport): Tēnā koe Mr Assistant Speaker. Tēnā koutou e Te Whare. I am so proud of this Government today. I'm proud to stand here and speak on behalf of the Green Party supporting the Labour-led coalition with New Zealand First Government. We are making real progress for New Zealanders on the issues that they very much care about because I know that most New Zealanders know that we have an infrastructure deficit. Most New Zealanders know that we have a lack of reliable frequent public transport options for getting around our towns and cities. We had over decades—successive Governments had let the rail network fall to pieces and that had significant consequences on the functioning of our road network as well as consequences for our economy.It's funny; I never thought I'd be a politician. I was a transport planner just working on positive solutions to various long-term challenges like climate change like inequality and transport provides an absolute opportunity that actually benefits every part of society in New Zealand. I was very naive back in 2009. I thought well surely the National Party will want to support a transport policy that's fiscally responsible that reduces congestion that's better for moving people and goods because that's good for business that's good for our economy. So I wrote to the then transport Minister Steven Joyce and let him know that actually all of his objectives aligned with transport investment that would also be better for people for our towns and cities and for the climate. So it's one of those rare areas where it's a win-win because nobody in New Zealand benefits from a transport policy that is spending most of the money on a few minor but very expensive expansions to the highway network outside our major cities. Why? Because it doesn't do anything to help people get around at peak time. It actually makes congestion worse. It does nothing to reduce the cost of moving goods around our country. It does nothing to improve road safety. So surely they wouldn't want to keep doing this.But listening to the debate here in the House from members of the Opposition I see sadly that they don't really understand what a transport network is and that when we invest in rail whether that's for passengers or goods that benefits the rest of our transport network—that benefits the roads. I know it's a hard concept for those members over there for some reason but luckily on this side of the House we embrace science we embrace evidence and reality and the reality is that the greatest benefits to our transport network are now achieved through investing in the complements to our road network in maintaining our road network and making our road network safer and that is exactly what we are doing.I do remember it must have been five or six years ago speaking in a speech on Budget legislation under urgency that was very similar to this legislation—oh yes that's right. The National Party while they were in office increased fuel taxes. They increased fuel taxes by about 24c a litre during their time and the difference—and I'm fully supportive of that as long as the revenue is used to actually improve our transport network. Sadly under the National Party a few mega-projects were selected for political reasons so they could cut some ribbons and all of the money went into that.So you know what happened during that time? I see the members of the National Party are so gullible. They actually believe their rhetoric and their lines. They actually believe that the projects that were prioritised under that last National Government were going to somehow benefit the economy even though there was not a single shred of economic evidence to support that position. They had to invent a whole new category of roads—called roads of national significance—because those projects never would have passed a basic cost-benefit analysis that had been prioritised under the New Zealand Transport Agency and their policy.So what the National Party did was tax all New Zealanders in Southland in Northland—the ones who are the most dependent on the roads. They raised their petrol taxes and they reduced their road maintenance spending. They reduced the spending on road police by over 10 percent and that is why of course we started to see a dramatic increase in deaths and serious injuries on our roads. From 2013 to 2018 under the National Government road deaths increased 55 percent—deaths and serious injuries—and that's not acceptable.So our Government has made safety a top priority for the transport budget and this very minor modest increase to fuel tax and road user charges will benefit our roads right across the country not just in Auckland Tauranga Wellington Christchurch and Hamilton which are the only places where the National Party spent any money on roads—and unfortunately they weren't even projects that reduced congestion because adding additional motorway lanes in an urban area never reduces congestion and the speed of our road network in an urban area is determined by the speed of the rapid transit. Did they have any investment in rapid transit?Hon Members: None.Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: None—none. So we were able with our very modest increases in fuel taxes which are the same as what happened under National to spread that money right around the country. I've spoken to local authorities and they tell me they are so relieved and so happy that there's going to be more money going into road maintenance in Southland in Otago in Northland because—oh let's see. OK so the National Party announced seven highway projects. Most of the money was going on seven—just seven—highway projects over nine years. Two of those projects had already been funded by the last Labour Government—Victoria Park Tunnel and Waterview Connection—and two of those projects 10 years later had barely started construction.So that previous speaker Matt King who was talking about four lanes to Whangarei—now that was a pipe dream. That was never funded under the last Government. In fact they had barely started construction on the Pūhoi to Warkworth—Kiritapu Allan: But what about the 10 bridges?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: The bridges? Three of them have been done I think. I think three out of 10. So let's be rational. I do plead with the Opposition members: we should have a bipartisan across the House approach on transport because this is what New Zealanders want. Eighty-seven percent of Automobile Association members say they want investment in protected cycleways in our cities because they agree with the idea that kids should be able to walk and cycle safely to school. That is good for the kids' health that's good for their learning and it's good for congestion. It makes life easier for mums and dads.So the motorists in New Zealand overwhelmingly support a balanced approach to transport which is exactly what this Government is delivering because they know that it doesn't matter if you drive a car or if you take a bus you take the train or you take your bike; everybody benefits by having more choices available to people. But I have to say this fuel tax increase that we're doing today is primarily going to benefit the roads that were sorely neglected under the National Government.Hon David Bennett: No it's for trains—ha ha!Simeon Brown: It's all going to trains.Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: Oh I think Opposition members are a little bit confused. Yes this Government made a huge commitment to rail in today's Budget. Does that come from the National Land Transport Fund? No it's Crown funding and Provincial Growth Fund funding so you actually have no—sorry Mr Assistant Speaker. You know what you're talking about but those members in the National Party have no idea what they're talking about. They can't read a Budget statement. They actually have no idea how the National Land Transport Fund works and they certainly have no idea about what is actually going to benefit our transport network.That is why congestion did not get better after 10 years under National. The state of our local roads has degraded to a horrific state and that's why it's going to take years to make up for it. But we have increased road maintenance for local roads and State highways by over 20 percent. We've increased the number of road police. We've increased funding for regional improvements for local road improvements for walking and cycling improvements. We were even able to invest in rapid transit which is going to benefit the people of Auckland and Wellington and Christchurch Tauranga and Hamilton because this Government believes in a balanced transport investment that's going to benefit our towns and cities benefit freight benefit the climate and most importantly benefit our children and their children.I wish that the members opposite were able to engage in an informed and rational debate. But sadly they're stuck with their talking points which are absolutely wrong. I think the former president of Local Government New Zealand would know there was significant criticism of the National Party's transport policy. Lawrence Yule: Not under my watch.Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: In fact I think I even heard criticism from that member. But for whatever reason he chose team blue—going to be sitting on the Opposition benches for years and years to come sadly. But hopefully we could have some constructive dialogue and debate because those members should realise that the investment this Government is making in our transport system for New Zealand is one that is going to benefit the country at a far far greater rate and is going to benefit generations to come.