Mapp Wayne: Land Transport Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
Mapp Wayne: Land Transport Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:626;Page:21352] 
Dr WAYNE MAPP (National—North Shore) 
: 
 One of the interesting things to be taken from the previous speaker’s comments is that the prosecution has apparently said that it will not be calling the Prime Minister. What we have not heard is whether any of those who are defendants will be seeking to call the Prime Minister because it is certainly my understanding—and it has been noted by others—that they might find it very beneficial for their cases to do precisely that. So I suspect that we actually have not heard the end of that matter. It would certainly raise the question of what the Prime Minister said. What she did not say was whether people were acting at least in some way as a result of things that she might have said. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The member needs to come back to the purpose of the bill. 
Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: So that would be a very interesting point that will come out I might add of Part 1 which contains clause 3(2)(h) concerning the accountability of people who give instructions. So although the Chair may be saying to come back to the bill it is precisely why that issue is directly relevant. 
One of the other issues I wish to deal with is a matter that will come up in one of the other provisions which is referred to as “low-speed vehicle technology”. 
Darren Hughes 
: That’s in Part 2. 
Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: One would think that the Government would know that surely by definition when we have clause 3 “Purpose” in Part 1 everything else in the bill has to be related to the purpose of the bill. So quite clearly anything to do with the licensing of vehicles is covered by Part 1 of the bill. In fact if it is not covered in Part 1 by definition it cannot be covered in subsequent parts because it will not be fulfilling the purpose of the bill.  
 I want the Committee to have a brief discussion mostly about vehicle technology and will raise that later on. I just want to put this question to the Minister. I do not expect him to address it now but I imagine he will later. We have given the Director of Land Transport discretion to exempt certain low-speed vehicles from the definition “motor vehicle” if they have a maximum power output between 300 and 600 watts. Most electric power - assisted bicycles are between 300 and 600 watts as opposed to being less than 300 watts. 
I have a question that I will raise with the Minister when we get to Part 2 and I will ask him to take advice from his officials. In essence what are the rules that the director will apply? It seems to me that too much discretion has been given to the director. Frankly vehicles—or power-assisted bicycles as we describe them now—with a power output between 300 and 600 watts should by and large be subject to blanket approval. It should be the exception rather than the rule that they not be approved because the whole intent of those provisions is to allow such approval. So I appreciate that the Minister will not address that matter directly now but will address it later. 
The other provisions in Part 1 relate particularly to the regulation of drivers convicted of serious criminal offences particularly those driving taxis. Having read the Supplementary Order Paper I do have some serious questions that I will be raising later about new section 29B “Passenger endorsement may be reinstated in certain cases”. It seems to me that the way that is drafted currently is too open.