Carter DavidRt Hon DAVID CARTER (National): It is a great pleasure for me to rise and take a brief call and to say that I'm finally on my feet supporting a piece of Government legislation because this does have the support of the National Party. Listening to the member who has just resumed his seat Dr Duncan Webb—he of course claimed credit for a huge amount of the infrastructure spend done by the previous National Government. We invested significantly in broadband to the benefit of most New Zealanders. The area that he attempted to claim credit for was of course the Rural Broadband Initiative which was one that was championed by the National Party with its interest of course in rural New Zealand. It has been a success and that's acknowledged by Duncan Webb but I just want to point out that it wasn't an initiative by the current Labour Government. We will support this legislation because of the figures released from the last day or so after the botched census of last year—2018—that the population of New Zealand is roaring towards 5 million people. Clearly there has to be investment in infrastructure be that roads—and I know that there's a philosophical divide between the Green Party and the Labour and New Zealand First Party about the necessity for roads. I drive a car. I don't consider myself for one minute a car fascist like the Hon Julie Anne Genter does. We need to invest in roads. We need to invest more in broadband. We need to invest in things like hospitals and schools. Again Dr Duncan Webb championed the spend by the current Labour - New Zealand First - Green Government on the Dunedin Hospital of $800 million. Well it hasn't started yet. Not a sod has been turned to build the Dunedin Hospital. Compare that with Dr Duncan Webb's own electorate where of course there was the Christchurch Hospital rebuild substantially completed of $600 million - plus done under the National Government. So there is a need for the Infrastructure Commission. I hope it will take some of the politics out. Of all the investment in security and infrastructure the one that certainly worries me is the current determination by members of this Government to spend money on rail. I was talking to my good colleague here Ian McKelvie who reminded me of the success of the Wairoa rail line recently opened on 14 June by the Government. It was predicted to have six trains a week on the line. It's had one—it's had a train there on the opening day. It hasn't had another train on that line since opening day. So I do think that by establishing the Infrastructure Commission we may see some more sensible and rational decision-making. It does depend on the Minister putting the right people on the commission and to date he's shown an ability to do that. As I conclude my brief remarks I also just want to make sure that in the future there's no political interference by the Minister for Infrastructure. I do note the legislation has the ability for him to comment on the draft report that is tabled from the commission and for the commission then to take note of the comments of a Minister. The Minister can also direct at any time the commission to do a particular report into infrastructure. So it's that political interference which risks undermining the good work being done by the establishment of the commission. I commend the bill to the House. It is a step in the right direction.