Prosser Richard: Land Transport and Road User Charges Legislation Amendment Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeProsser Richard: Land Transport and Road User Charges Legislation Amendment Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 18 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16766. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]RICHARD PROSSER (NZ First):I am pleased to rise on behalf of New Zealand First to take a call in the second reading of the Land Transport and Road User Charges Legislation Amendment Bill. New Zealand First supported this bill going to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee. My colleague Denis O’Rourke indicated at the time back in August of last year that the changes brought about by the bill were largely technical in nature and largely acted to correct anomalies in the existing legislation. A bill to correct stuff-ups—that was how my colleague described it. Mr O’Rourke is an eloquent man a man of letters a learned barrister and solicitor well schooled and well skilled in the ways of the law. He is capable of a quite melodic turn of phrase when the fancy takes him but on that occasion I believe he was being very deliberately blunt.He was followed by Mr Auchinvole from the Government side of the House the retiring list member from the West Coast—not retiring as in shy and retiring. I did not mean to intimate that Mr Auchinvole is the shy and retiring type—quite the opposite in fact. Mr Auchinvole is nothing if not flamboyant. But I digress perhaps just a little. Mr Auchinvole proceeded to castigate my colleague in what I can only assume was a grudging attempt to indicate his appreciation for our support of the bill whilst still desiring to have a dig at Mr O’Rourke in the process.David Bennett: Well Denis isn’t going to be here.RICHARD PROSSER: He then went on to talk quite a lot about tractors Mr Bennett about which I am certain he knows a great deal. I know a thing or two about them myself. I have driven many a tractor in my time in my life prior to coming to Parliament. In one previous incarnation in fact I sold tractors for a living—Massey Ferguson and Samay. Tractors are relevant to this bill because they are one of the types of vehicle with which it is concerned. As vehicles that are almost—Hon Annette King: Ask Shane Ardern about them. He knows a bit about a tractor.RICHARD PROSSER: That was a very fine example of a Massey Ferguson tractor—an oldie but a goodie. As vehicles that are almost never used on the roads and therefore not required to be registered tractors may be exempted from the requirement for road-user charges to be paid under the changes that this bill brings about. That is a good thing in our estimation. They will incur a small annual charge instead as contribution for the very minor wear and tear that tractors inflict on our roads—all very fair and above board.The bill was returned from the select committee the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee—that fine and august body of men and women from across the House of the people. It has been returned with a small number of minor amendments suggested. They are minor technical changes to what is a minor technical bill. It is nothing earth shattering. This bill will not cause mountains to move or civilisations to fall. It is very necessary. It is a necessary part of the machinery of government grinding away largely unseen beneath the foundations of society. But it is not likely to be a central player in the upcoming election campaign which we all face—all bar Mr Auchinvole of course who is retiring and one or two others from the benches opposite. There are 14 in total I believe. And who knows? There may yet be more. Mr Auchinvole is exempted from the rigours of the campaign. He will not be joining us on the hustings. Instead he will be retiring to the West Coast—and a fine place it is to retire to—doubtless to write the first of many books about tractors.In closing I will say that New Zealand First will continue to support this bill. There will be great relief about that on the Government side of the House I am sure. Those members can rest assured that this bill will continue its passage through the parliamentary process and into law. We will enable it so. Thank you.