Lees-Galloway Iain: Road User Charges Bill — In Committee 
Lees-Galloway Iain: Road User Charges Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:676;Page:21782] 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North) 
: 
 I will make a little extra contribution particularly about clause 81 of the Road User Charges Bill. But before I do that there have been some almost inaudible interjections from David Bennett about making sure we read the bill and our putting up members who were not on the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee. Well David Bennett was on the select committee and he has not taken a call. Mike Woodhouse was on the select committee and he has not made a contribution either. Jackie Blue was on the select committee and she has not made a contribution either. I would have thought given that this part of the bill was one of the more controversial areas where submitters had quite a bit to say on it it would be good to hear from the Government. It would be good to hear from Government members about why they think these provisions are so good and why they are an improvement. I commend the Minister Nathan Guy for taking a couple of calls on the bill so far but if Government members are going to chip in so much whilst Opposition members are on their feet it would be nice if they could take a call and explain their position themselves. 
The principal concern that submitters had about the fact that so many of these provisions and regulations can be made under Order in Council is related to their ability to plan ahead. If regulations can be changed with regard to road-user charges vehicle types road-user charges weight bands road-user charges licences the display of road-user charges licences and payments and electronic system providers—all of which potentially have significant cost to trucking firms and transport firms—then those affected want to have some certainty around what those costs will be. The concern of submitters was that if these regulations are being made by Order in Council rather than any changes being made through legislation then things could change quickly and without an awful lot of notice and that would ultimately have an effect on their bottom line. It just makes it difficult to do business. I would have thought a National-led Government would have sought every possible avenue to make it easier to do business—that is their mantra anyway. 
Michael Woodhouse 
: A Labour Government wouldn’t—is that what you’re saying? 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY 
: Well actually Mike— 
Michael Woodhouse 
: Are you saying a Labour Government wouldn’t do that? 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY 
: Well what I am trying to say is that that is the rhetoric we hear from the National Government but then we see in legislation like this that the facts do not necessarily back up the rhetoric. One would think that a Government that prides itself on being so business-friendly would do everything it could to make it easier to do business and to make it easier to plan. On this side of the Chamber we share those concerns and we are not convinced that using the Order in Council process is the right way to set some of these regulations—for instance in respect of clause 81(n) “ 
Electronic system providers 
” which states: “regulating the collection storage use or disclosure of information relating to road user charges that is held by an electronic system provider in addition to the provisions specified in this Act:”. This goes back to what I was talking about in the last part about some of the concerns that many of the submitters had about what information would be collected what that information would be used for and their fear I suppose that the goalposts could be shifted rather quickly by the Government. The consultation processes would not be robust enough to give them an opportunity to have their say in any changes that might occur. 
The same goes with payment methods: “prescribing the methods of payment of road user charges including different methods of payment for different types or forms of licence:”. That could have a significant impact on how trucking firms do their business what systems they have to have in place maybe what information technology systems they have to have in place and what payment systems they have to have in place. Again it could be done with significant haste without the full legislative process and could see them having to change their business operation rather drastically. So we think that the track record on consultation is not good and that firms have every right to be concerned about which changes might occur.