Pillay Lynne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Pillay Lynne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:617;Page:13225] 
7.  
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour—Waitakere) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: What reports if any has he received on proposals for Auckland transport? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 I have received many reports on the Government’s commitment of an extra $1.6 billion for Auckland land transport and some about the leader of the National Party promising to complete Auckland’s roading network within 10 years without any commitment to new funding at all. 
Lynne Pillay 
: What funding options are available for meeting Auckland’s transport needs? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: According to some reports petrol taxes are unnecessary but also essential rates funding is awful but also necessary road tolls will help pay for new roads but will not raise new money and incidentally public transport is good but it would not do to fund it. These reports emanate from a speech made by the Leader of the Opposition and from his subsequent bewildered interviews on the matter. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Do any of the reports the Minster has received show that spending on new roads in Auckland in real terms has been less for every year of this Government than for the last year of the National Government and do those reports also show that Transfund finished this year with a $250 million surplus while six major projects are sitting dormant waiting to commence? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: On the contrary the advice I have in respect of local roads and State highway construction or indeed for total expenditure in Auckland from the Government would show that in the last 3 years of the National Government less than $200 million per annum was spent. In the last 3 years of this Government more than $300 million was spent. So in the speech given on Friday morning what we were dealing with was a bit of selective reporting of statistics. However by the afternoon—remembering that on Friday morning the speech was given—the following statement was made and I am quoting from Dr Brash on Newstalk ZB at 12.03 pm: “I’m talking of reducing property taxes and reducing excise taxes. I’m not talking to raise additional money from the tolls.” That is the quote. It sounds like “funny money” to me and I would say that back in 1980 he got closer to Social Credit than we gave him credit for. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Does the Minister remember from that speech the claim made by Dr Brash that it was the National Party in 1998 that brought about the 2.1c consolidated account transfer—having of course abolished it in the 1999 Budget which is all the evidence I need of that fact; and does he believe the promise to “sort out the Resource Management Act within 3 months” or is that a bit like the “nuclear ships by lunchtime” comment? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister has no responsibility for the National Party in the first part of the question. He can answer the second part of the question. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I am advised that in the speech he said that in 1998 a National Government moved 2.1c. If the leader of New Zealand First is telling this House that that was as a result of New Zealand First’s influence then I am obliged of course to believe him and therefore the other fellow might be talking the porkies the member talked about in his press statement of that day. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member knows he cannot say that. He will stand withdraw and apologise. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I withdraw and apologise. I seek leave to table a press statement dated 21 May from Peter Brown headed: “Brash telling porkies”. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No the member cannot read that into the record. He can ask for a statement made by Peter Brown to be tabled and that is it. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I am just trying to describe it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No—please be seated. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I seek leave accordingly. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
John Carter 
: I seek leave for the Minister to come down later and correct the answers he has just given because they are bound to be incorrect. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member knows he cannot seek leave on behalf of anybody else and he has been here a very long time. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Does the Minister agree that the proposal to relieve Auckland’s transport congestion by building “only roads” is a bit like a proposal to cure obesity only by letting one’s belt out and has he seen any reports regarding the Kyoto Protocol coming into force that suggests a sprawling car-dependent future for Auckland is a poor economic option? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: In respect of the second part of the member’s question the position held by the National Party on the Kyoto Protocol was the subject of some debate earlier in question time. In respect of the first part of the question however I can do no better than to quote from a journalist in yesterday’s  
New Zealand Herald 
 
who said: “Dr Brash is one of those relics from the last century who wants to tarmac the whole isthmus.” 
Deborah Coddington 
: Is it not correct that the Labour Government is not at all concerned about fixing Auckland’s transport woes demonstrated by the fact that the member from Dunedin has the transport portfolio not a member from Auckland; if not why not? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: No. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: I seek leave to table a chart of the spending on new roads in Auckland showing that the spending in the last 4 years has been less than the last year of the National Government. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table the 1998 Budget which shows the 2.1c in and the 1999 Budget which shows the 2.1c out and we will see who is telling porkies around here. 
Documents not tabled. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I seek leave to table the national land transport programme expenditure in Auckland from years 1996 through 2004 which shows that the graph Mr Williamson tabled is an error. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That cannot be allowed to stand. The graph uses the Minister’s own numbers. If he says it is an error that is not acceptable in this House. That is a graph of his numbers from answers to questions for written answer. In that case he has misled the House if there is an error in those numbers. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I just leave the Minister and the member to reflect. Two documents have been tabled. If there is any mistake then the appropriate action will have to be taken. 
Larry Baldock 
: I seek leave to table the press release from United Future that shows that the entire funding for the Auckland roading package comes from a reduction in fuel excise diversion negotiated by United Future. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is.