3. Question No. 3—TransportHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 3—Transport3. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by all his statements and actions?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): Malo ni. I stand by my statements and by my actions in leading record investment in a modern safe transport system.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Regarding his statement in his corrected answer to the question yesterday When did he as Minister of Transport know about this change of policy?"—i.e. earlier that morning—whose idea was it to rule out further regional fuel taxes?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The Prime Minister phoned me early yesterday to seek my views on whether—in light of the Opposition's scaremongering and baseless misinformation—it was time for a clarification of the Government's position to make it very clear to people that there would be no further regional fuel taxes under her prime ministership. I agreed.Hon Paul Goldsmith: What exactly is "scaremongering" or "false information" in the assertion that the Government may consider a regional fuel tax outside Auckland when allowed in 2021 by their own legislation—something that he as Minister pointedly never ruled out before?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well it was scaremongering and misinformation for the Leader of the Opposition to go around claiming that the Government was in secret talks with Wellington councils to implement a regional fuel tax. It was never going to happen.Hon Paul Goldsmith: What's changed in the past six months since his earlier answers where he refused to rule out extending regional fuel taxes beyond Auckland after this parliamentary term to yesterday's new policy that it will never happen as long as the Prime Minister is Prime Minister—assuming that's a longer period?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: What's changed in the last six months is the plummeting level of confidence and the growing desperation of the Opposition—that they're willing just to make things up.Rt Hon Winston Peters: How did this matter arise when the Mayor of Wellington says his council never ever asked for it?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well I'm baffled as to how this idea could be circulated by the Leader of the Opposition. The Mayor of Wellington said there were no discussions going on about a regional fuel tax; I ruled it out. The only person who seems to publicly believe that this was something worth talking about was the Leader of the Opposition.Hon Paul Goldsmith: How does he square his statement on RNZ this morning "To be fair you know we've never had a plan to have additional regional fuel taxes." with his statement in a letter to the Mayor of Hamilton: "If in the future Hamilton City or the Waikato region wish to seek a regional fuel tax I would encourage you to engage with officials at the Ministry of Transport. Officials will be able to provide guidance for any future applications including the matters that will need to be considered and addressed to increase the likelihood of an application being approved"?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: We welcome discussions about the different options for actually addressing the infrastructure deficit that we inherited after nine years of that Government. I welcome discussions with councils about how we do that and for the last nine years those councils have never had a Government willing to talk to them about these issues.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That noise from that side is unbearable. We understand—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. The three members who interjected will now stand.Hon Michael Woodhouse: I withdraw and apologise.Andrew Bayly: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: I said three when I saw four.Lawrence Yule: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: Thank you.Nicola Willis: I'll withdraw and apologise.Rt Hon Winston Peters: To repeat the fact is that that level of noise is just unbearable. It's inexcusable. Everybody understands that this is a place where people are entitled to voice with some noise their level of dissent but that is just a screaming disorganised rabble and they should be stopped.SPEAKER: I want to thank the member for his advice.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Isn't it the case that it was very much his intention to introduce other regional fuel taxes in 2021 if he had a chance and that he and the Prime Minister changed their minds because they've finally woken up to the fact that Kiwis are sick and tired of being fleeced at the fuel pump by this Government?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: No."