Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:627;Page:22129] 
11.  
Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay Of Plenty) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: How many hours will the police dedicate to speed control this financial year compared with last financial year and how many traffic offence notices and infringement offence notices are expected to be issued this financial year compared with the past financial year? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Minister of Police) 
: 
 I am advised that the hours dedicated to speed control for the 2005-06 year will be approximately the same as those for the last financial year. The police are not expected to issue any number of offence notices and any that they do issue will be to people who are breaking the law. The latest information I have is that the number of tickets issued during the January-March quarter showed a decrease of 8 percent against the quarterly average and that the number of speed camera offences has dropped over the last year. The police and I hope the reduction continues. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Why has the Government cut the number of hours that police will spend targeting drink-drivers this year? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Because the police each year look at what the need is and where the drop-off is and make sure they are policing our roads better. I can tell the member that the number of fatal accidents over the last few years is a lot better than it was in the previous 50 years. Fewer people per 10000 people have been killed on the road. [ 
Interruption 
] The member opposite may say that is rubbish but he would not know because he does not do his homework. 
Martin Gallagher 
: In the light of the Minister’s previous answer can he detail what reports he has seen on the result of the Government’s road safety strategy designed to save life? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The Land Transport New Zealand website indicates that road fatalities per 10000 of population in the last few years are the lowest for more than 50 years. I am further advised that 74922— 
Gerry Brownlee 
: What about warrants on the cars? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I will repeat this seeing that Mr Brownlee is getting excited. I am further advised that 74922 fewer speed camera tickets were issued last year. The message is getting through. 
Peter Brown 
: Is our road toll fatality record inferior or superior to that of nations such as the UK Holland and Sweden; if it is inferior—as I suspect it is—will the Minister tell us why? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I will get that information for the member but what I can say is that our having the best figures for the last 50 years is something we can be proud of. The average mean speed on our roads is dropping dramatically. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Given that the Government’s own latest available data shows an increase in the proportion of crashes and casualties where drink-driving is a contributing factor why would Labour cut the effort against drink-driving or has revenue gathering become even more of a priority for the Government? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: It is not about revenue earning. That member must realise that $216 million goes into road safety and only $100 million is collected in fines. 
Peter Brown 
: What is the Minister’s view of a dedicated traffic policing force separate from the police force my noting that when in Opposition he voted against National’s amalgamation of the two forces—what is his view now? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: When John Banks brought it in I thought that it was not a good idea. John Banks now thinks the same; so do I. 
Peter Brown 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. We are just trying to work out what that answer meant. I wonder whether it is convenient for the Minister to talk to John Banks then he can tell us what he really thinks. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I will say that the Minister addressed the question but he may have not have done it satisfactorily for the member. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Why will the Government not use the extra hours funded for the police to issue even more speeding tickets this year to target drink-drivers? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The police always target drink-driving. They have done that all the time. The member did not listen earlier. The number of speeding tickets is going down and the member does not like it. In a recent DigiPoll survey published in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 about 70 percent of people thought we were getting it right. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: I seek leave to table two documents. One is table 16 from the safety administration programme which shows that the Government is cutting the police effort on drink-driving and putting it into additional speeding tickets. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Secondly I seek leave to table a document from Land Transport New Zealand that shows that the number of deaths per 100000 people has increased and that the road toll is perilously close to that of previous years. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.