Alexander Marc: Land Transport (Street and Illegal Drag Racing) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Alexander Marc: Land Transport (Street and Illegal Drag Racing) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
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MARC ALEXANDER (United Future) 
: 
 United Future members support the bill wholeheartedly. I personally do not care how the bill got here—I just want to know that it will be passed speedily before there is another death. I want to acknowledge the work of Clayton Cosgrove in bringing the bill to the fore and the Law and Order Committee for doing such a fine job in giving some teeth to it. I am stunned to learn that the Greens and ACT have climbed into bed together and will be against this bill. Quite frankly I cannot wait to hear their version of things. 
Martin Gallagher 
: That can’t be true. 
MARC ALEXANDER 
: It is true and I cannot understand it. Nandor Tanczos comments in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 that he does not think anyone would accuse him of being a petrol head. There is no room for petrol in his head not with these quite dopey ideas.  
Let me say once again that the debate surrounding the bill comes at a time of tragedy. At the first reading of this bill a shooting had recently taken place amongst a group drag racing in south Auckland and this time at the second reading a 24-year-old PeeravetSuwannarat died in Christchurch over the weekend after losing control in a high-speed inner city drag race in wet and dangerous conditions. Three other occupants were seriously injured and remain so in Christchurch Hospital. There have been many other incidents in the interim. It was United Future that instigated this bill being advanced under urgency this week and put it up on the Order Paper following on from the initiative of Clayton Cosgrove. 
Street and illegal drag racing is a national problem. It is a people problem. It does not discriminate amongst parties and I am glad to see that Labour National New Zealand First and United Future have put aside this political party nonsense to put this bill together and are keen to have it passed speedily. Local bylaws have had limited success in controlling unauthorised street and drag racing. Bylaws have displaced the problem to other suburbs other streets and other residents and communities. As a Christchurch MP I am very familiar with the problem. I have had contact in my electorate with both public and the police who are concerned about this issue. Both are frustrated by the inability to adequately address the problem within current law. 
The problem is beyond the realm of reckless driving. These drivers are for the most part sober. It is not incapacity that warrants immobilisation of their vehicles; it is the reckless disregard for the public. Infringement notices have been nothing more than badges of honour worn by the people who perpetrate these crimes. Often it is impossible to identify the driver in order to issue these infringement notices and impoundment notices at night in large crowds—something this bill does address. As deputy chair of the Law and Order Committee and working with my colleagues across the House I applaud the significant changes that have strengthened the bill. I believe it is good legislation which should be pushed through. 
Changes to the principal Act include the creation of offences aimed at unauthorised street races. Police are able to impound vehicles at the roadside when they are involved in unauthorised street and drag racing and related stunts. There is an extension of the length of impoundment to 28 days which includes the right of appeal. There is a strong deterrence here. Most of these cars are a huge investment and the pride and joy of these thugs on wheels and having the vehicle removed from them will be a strong deterrent. 
The appeal rights are important. We have to recognise that the police are making subjective decisions on occasion and that the car may not always be owned by the operator at the time of impoundment. There is protection for those vehicles that are stolen. We support the amendments that have outlined contributing factors in unauthorised street and drag racing. For example it is now an offence which can be enforced to intentionally pour place or allow to spill petrol oil diesel fuel or other substances that are likely to cause a vehicle to lose traction without reasonable excuse. 
These people can and will incur fines of up to $3000 and infringement notices of $600. 
It is important to note that United Future is aware that the Attorney-General has reported that impoundment for 28 days is not a proportionate response and is a breach of human rights. Again I echo the comments made a little earlier by Clayton Cosgrove in asking whose rights we are talking about. It ought to be the rights of communities the rights of the public and the rights of those people who are most at risk that are put to the fore not the rights of these thugs on wheels. In response we continue to support this period of impoundment based on the deterrent effect that it will have—and it will—recognising that fines alone will have little effect and that there is a right of appeal. It is also possible for police not to follow through with prosecution if they find reason against doing so. We strongly believe that having a vehicle automatically out of service once green-stickered is a window of opportunity. This forces impounded cars to undergo warrant of fitness checks and to comply with noise standards though not to the extent that we would have liked to see—but we understand that we will be addressing this in other legislation later. 
This provision specifically addresses the submissions concerned with cars being placed back on the road at the end of the seizure period without addressing residents’ concerns about modified exhaust systems and so on. It also follows for other modifications to be equally checked—seating for example. In other words to be reclaimed these cars will have to undergo warrant of fitness checks all over again at additional cost to the offenders. 
Of particular importance in this bill and reflected in the submissions was the need to recognise authorised street racing so that it would not be captured. This bill has made the necessary distinctions. It is of paramount importance to distinguish motor enthusiasts car shows and motor club events from unauthorised events. Obviously United Future is very supportive of organised motor events. Our president Inky Tulloch is the Australasian supertruck racing champion and our own MP Paul Adams was New Zealand’s first professional rally driver. It was hard to get him to look at this bill to be honest. 
But United Future is disappointed that the bill did not coordinate efforts with the Land Transport Safety Authority to have simultaneously developed policy on the road-user rule and the vehicle equipment rule to introduce with this bill. It is unsatisfactory that noise which many submissions complained of is not effectively addressed in this bill particularly with regard to boom boxes etc. But we will be following this up in the consultation process with rules regarding the latter. 
Originally at the bill’s first reading we were concerned that confiscation alone would not contribute to an increased feeling of public safety but we have changed our views and we are confident with the strengthening of this legislation. United Future supports the second reading of this bill. We believe that the new powers for the police will help to control unauthorised street and drag racing through infringement notices court fines and the ability to impound at the roadside. We intend to continue working with the Land Transport Safety Authority to ensure policy is developed to standardise noise levels to address residents’ concerns more directly. Again we say thanks to Clayton Cosgrove and the Labour Party for bringing this bill forward and thank you to National and New Zealand First. I now hope that everybody can have a very good laugh at the new relationship between ACT and the Greens.