O'Connor SimonSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): Thank you very much Madam Chair.Hon Members: Oh!SIMON O'CONNOR: There's disappointment that I've been called above others but look I'm very pleased to take what I hope is the first of several calls. I'm sure the whip Kieran McAnulty is thrilled to have myself along with Chris Penk standing here again on this one to discuss the Land Transport Management (Regional Fuel Tax) Amendment Bill and in particular a tabled amendment in my name most recently. Look this is Part 1—this is the meat of the bill—and I don't intend to in effect go into the wider issues. It will be no surprise to this committee—and certainly to my own constituents—that I'm opposed this bill in its whole but I want to turn my attention in effect to how the tax scheme will affect the Auckland region and in particular a suggestion in my tabled amendment of how that may impact and affect the good people of Tāmaki whom I represent. As context the people of Tāmaki pay in effect the highest amount of rates in Auckland already. Now I know this is a Government bill but the context is important. They already pay an enormous amount of rates. Strangely enough—although not completely misunderstood particularly with a left-wing council—they get basically very little of that money back. We also have a council of course that have then gone and put fuel taxes on along with other levies to come and so that is the context then as we have this Government bill seeking to put even more—even more—taxes on to the good and hard-working people of Tāmaki. In a recent survey done granted by council but around fuel taxes—and in many ways the people of Tāmaki as I'm sure those of Auckland and all of New Zealand are not too fussed if it's the Government or the council putting the levy or the tax on; it's just an added cost to their life—the good people of Tāmaki spoke with a very strong voice that they did not want more fuel taxes. They do not want the Government's regional fuel tax. They do not want the council's fuel tax. So as I was preparing a tabled amendment my first suggestion was going to be around clause 5 inserting a section around section 65—probably new section 65E—asking that actually Tāmaki as a geographical region be exempt. I thought that was a good idea. In fact you know it often pops up in this House that different groups try to make exemptions for their area. Well Tāmaki's a very well-defined area and I just thought we could be exempt. In fact I'd like to go further. We'd like to be exempt from a whole lot of things actually—mainly the Government in general. We can't do that. Actually four people in my electorate—Labour voters—were keen to remain within Government. I'm not so—but I didn't think that was constructive.Hon Member: He exaggerates. SIMON O'CONNOR: It might be an exaggeration—I might have been mixed up with some New Zealand First. But as I say the first thought I had was to actually ask that the regional fuel tax not apply to the people of Tāmaki. I decided to not go down that route. I thought I would attempt to be constructive. I do have some respect for the Minister in the chair Phil Twyford and so it is in a spirit of concord and assistance that instead I changed the tabled amendment so that if this regional fuel tax goes ahead—God forbid—actually some of that money will be put aside to fund a comprehensive upgrade of Tāmaki Drive. Now members here will know—certainly my constituents know—for the last few years I have been pushing incredibly hard through a petition and otherwise for an upgrade a comprehensive upgrade of Tāmaki Drive. Many in this House I'm sure have come up. It's the best road—well the road itself is pretty appalling but in terms of the view from the road it's quite remarkable. It's absolutely stunning. In fact I might throw just a quick line in to Auckland Transport: please don't use Tāmaki Drive as a bus park. But I thought in the spirit of cooperation I would suggest to the Minister that he may just receive some support from the good hard-working voters of Tāmaki for this further imposed regional fuel tax scheme if he commits tonight to fund a comprehensive upgrade of Tāmaki Drive. The Minister will be delighted—I'm sure he is just beside himself with joy at the moment—to know that there is a very good plan in place for Tāmaki Drive. The implementation of the regional fuel tax would be relatively easy. This is not unplanned. It is uncosted but I'm relatively confident with the huge amount of money that this regional fuel tax is going to draw in that in fact Tāmaki Drive will be well upgraded for all people who use it from the buses to the rowers to the cyclists to the walkers and to the mums with perambulators and those who wish to go for a pericombobulation at this time of the day—pericombobulation" for Hansard. It's a way forward Minister. I hope you would consider it. Look the people of Tāmaki are generally not friends of the Labour Party but you might just buy one extra vote in Tāmaki by supporting this tabled amendment."