Genter Julie Anne: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeGenter Julie Anne: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 01 July 2015. Volume:706;Page:4985. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.JULIE ANNE GENTER (Green) to the Minister of Transport: What percentage of the National Land Transport Programme announced yesterday will be spent on new rail infrastructure?Mr SPEAKER: Before I call the Hon Simon Bridges I have been advised that this answer may be longer than normal.Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Transport): In answering this question it is very important to understand some context. The Government historically directly funds rail infrastructure and that has certainly been the case under this Government. Investment in rail infrastructure typically does not come from the National Land Transport Plan. Of course the National Land Transport Plan is funded by road users through petrol excise and road user charges so investment primarily goes on matters directly related to road users. In rail of course the Government has directly funded over $3 billion on capital expenditure including the biggest single investment in rail in decades in the form of Auckland rail electrification. In the 2015—Julie Anne Genter: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I respect and I acknowledge that you advised that the answer would be longer than usual but I know that—Mr SPEAKER: So what is the point of order?Julie Anne Genter: The Minister is not addressing the question. He is—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I would be grateful if the member would show some courtesy to the Minister and to the House. I announced at the start of the question that it would be a longer answer than normal. As I am listening to the answer it maybe is a reason why a percentage will not be given. If the member would only listen to the answer before raising a point of order I think we would all be far more grateful. Would the honourable Minister wish to continue with his answer.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: In regards to the 2015-18 National Land Transport Plan we are investing over $2 billion in public transport regarding rail some $380 million going on passenger rail subsidies $40 million on park-and-ride infrastructure and $172.6 million towards other rail infrastructure—about 1.5 percent. Of course in Budget 2015 there is a further $210 million for KiwiRail and another $190 million signalled for thereafter. The member should stop being tricky should stop cherry-picking the statistics—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Now the answer is quite long enough.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This is a question that is on notice. It is a very straight question that the Minister has not answered—Mr SPEAKER: Order! So what is the point of order?Metiria Turei: That he has not answered the question of a very clear—Mr SPEAKER: The member has not been listening like I have been listening. In my opinion that question has without doubt been addressed. It may not be to the satisfaction of the member but then she can make progress by further supplementary questions.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I was listening very intently and I want to ask you: what then was it that we missed about the percentage?Hon Gerry Brownlee: I think quite clearly what the member missed is that the National Land Transport Plan does not necessarily carry the funding for rail because it all comes from the excise.Mr SPEAKER: I appreciate—[Interruption] Order! The member—[Interruption] Order! The member will resume his seat. What the member now needs to do is go back and study Hansard and he will get the same answer that I heard too.Julie Anne Genter: Given that rail is a form of land transport and rail improvements can vastly improve the road network and take pressure off the road network why will his Government not fund high-value rail projects from the land transport budget?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I think we have got a very proud record of backing rail. That is why we have spent over $3 billion on capital expenditure that is why we have put the biggest single investment in rail infrastructure in many decades in the $1.6 billion electrification in Auckland and that is why we have spent over half a billion dollars investing in Wellington rail. We back rail and we are trying to make it as sustainable as possible so it has a very long future in this country.Julie Anne Genter: In light of that answer will he guarantee that under his Government electric trains will not be downgraded to diesel trains on the North Island main trunk line?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Of course that is an operational matter for KiwiRail and no decision has been made on that. This Government is busy not engaging in stunts like that member but actually working hard to make KiwiRail sustainable in every sense of that word—yes environmentally but also economically and socially.Julie Anne Genter: So is he seriously saying that as the Minister of Transport and Associate Minister for Climate Change Issues he is going to do nothing to ensure that New Zealand preserves and extends its fleet of electric freight trains?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I have already answered that but let us be very clear. In regard to diesel trains they are some 70 percent more fuel efficient than trucks and so actually I think we have got to make sure that we make rail as a business sustainable in every sense of the word so it does have a long future here. That also means—and I appreciate this is not something the Green Party takes seriously—making it economically sustainable so that it is a profitable sustainable company.Julie Anne Genter: I seek leave to table an analysis of the National Land Transport Plan announced yesterday done by the Parliamentary Library which shows less than 2 percent—Mr SPEAKER: Order! No. Such tabling does not provide information. It is being used by the member simply to make a political point.