Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:668;Page:15162] 
8. 
Hon DARREN HUGHES (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: On how many occasions was he in contact with the chairperson of the New Zealand Transport Agency on the weekend of 30-31 October regarding the decision to delay announcing the route of the new State highway through Kapiti until possibly after the Mana by-election; if so who initiated the contact? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 On Thursday 28 October prior to the weekend I received a verbal briefing from the New Zealand Transport Agency which I followed up with one phone conversation with the chair and also one with the chief executive on Saturday 30 October. I was informed during those conversations that the nature of the consultation document as it stood would mean that a second consultation would be required at the northern end of the alignment at a later date. The outcome of the conversation with the chair was agreement between us that the level of uncertainty in the consultation material over the northern end of the route was likely to be unacceptable to householders there. The chair advised me of his intentions—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: —to raise it with senior executives and the board at their meeting on Monday. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Before I call the Hon Darren Hughes I say that a very particular question was asked and the Minister went to some trouble to give a detailed answer to it. That kind of interjection when members are trying to hear the detail of the answer is very unhelpful and the Hon Trevor Mallard knows whom I am talking to there. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: If the decision had nothing to do with the Mana by-election why does the agenda for the agency’s meeting last Monday make no reference to the new State highway through Kapiti when other roading projects the agency was being updated on were specifically named? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: As I pointed out in my answer to the substantive question it was as a result of the discussion that the chair and I had on Saturday that he advised his intention to raise the issue with senior executives and the board at the meeting on Monday. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Was any aspect of the idea or decision to delay announcing to the public details of the new State highway’s location through Kapiti discussed during item 11 of the New Zealand Transport Agency’s board meeting which is headed up: “Board members meet the Minister at his Beehive office at 2.15 p.m.”? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I met with the board members at my office on that afternoon to discuss the statement of intent. At that time they informed me that they had made the decision to postpone the consultation and we had a general discussion about the importance of providing as much certainty as we can about roading projects before we proceed to consultation. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Did anyone—members of his staff officials or parliamentary colleagues—point out to him the closeness of the proposed consultation to the Mana by-election before he discussed it with the chair of the agency towards the end of October? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I think it was obvious to blind Freddy that the Mana by-election is coming up. The point of this though is that the focus of the change was nothing to do with the Mana electorate; it was because of insufficient detail on a section of the road towards the northern end of the alignment which the member may or may not be aware is outside the Mana electorate. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: What is his response to members of the community who resolved unanimously last night for the details of the plan to be released immediately—in other words before the Mana by-election—at a public meeting that did not have $22000 worth of advertising spent on it but in fact had zero spent on advertising and still got a good turn-out reflecting the deep concern the public has with the games the Minister is playing? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I think the member has to decide which side of this argument he is running. On the one hand he is accusing me of interference; on the other hand his press release today says that I should step in and immediately release detailed plans of the planned route for the Kapiti Expressway. He cannot have it both ways. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. After a slight glance to my leadership and a search for the rapidly shifting Hekia Parata over there I seek leave for her— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I seek leave to table a copy of the New Zealand Transport Agency’s board meeting agenda which made no reference to the Kapiti road. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.