Gallagher Martin: Budget Debate 
Gallagher Martin: Budget Debate 
[Volume:631;Page:3321] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 We should bring back Clem Simich. Sir Robert David Muldoon would turn in his grave if he realised that Allan Peachey is now representing the electorate of Tamaki. There was once a rumour that the previous speaker who has just sat down shares the same name as a former principal of Rangitoto College. I do not believe they are one and the same person because I do not think the board of trustees—let alone the Minister of Education—would have tolerated that performance at Rangitoto College. I could never imagine that kind of delivery at a morning assembly. I believe that principals in this country would turn in absolute shame as a result. 
I will also comment briefly for those who were listening on the speech made by the once-proud Mayor of Wellington Mark Blumsky. Indeed I have to say it was sad his being reduced to reading a speech from the National Party research bureau. He talked of a lack of vision and policy of wasting billions—I will talk about the so-called wasting of billions in a minute—and of the $1.3 billion spent on roading. It was a speech all about selling down New Zealand. Would he have sold down “absolutely positively Wellington”? I think not. I want that former mayor to reflect on his time as mayor when he boosted Wellington and when he spoke up for a community that he was proud of. Why is he not similarly and equally proud of our great country New Zealand? 
I now turn to the positive. “On behalf of New Zealand motorists the Automobile Association congratulates the Government and Dr Cullen on the Budget 2006. There is now more money being spent on transport than ever before and the benefits will be seen for years to come.” In an official statement from the Automobile Association Mike Noon Automobile Association Motoring Affairs General Manager said: “the AA is delighted the government has provided an additional $1.3 billion of funding to improve the country’s transport infrastructure. Today’s Budget really is fantastic news for all New Zealand motorists … We are thrilled to see our Members’ taxes being fully invested in the transport programme and in our roads.” 
During the last election National produced a poster that read “What’s your petrol tax for?”. It had a less than complimentary picture of our Prime Minister on it—although it was still a nice picture—and attributed quotes to her. On the other side of the poster Dr Brash was talking about roads. I read from the National Party’s 2005 roading and transport policy: “The solution to our roading problems is to spend more money on road infrastructure. Over our first …”—not one term—“… two terms in office we will move all the petrol tax that currently goes into the consolidated fund to the National Land Transport Fund.” In the  
Dominion Post  
on 18 May 2006 Maurice Williamson said: “When it comes to roads National is very concerned about the infrastructure deficit that keeps growing. We committed at the election to moving all petrol tax over to the road fund over a period of six years.” A period of how many years? Not 1 2 3 4 or 5 but 6 years. 
We had the billboard in the city of Hamilton and we had the pamphlets from National’s good close allies the somewhat exclusive group the Exclusive Brethren whose members were trying to act as the political shock troops for the National Party. I am very proud of the effort we made to build the Labour Party vote in Hamilton and also to win the Hamilton West seat. We have not waited 6 long years to have that petrol tax transferred to the roading fund. Indeed I say that 6 months is the most appropriate answer. 
Quite frankly I cannot believe the “h” word being demonstrated by the Opposition particularly by the Waikato members—with the exception of David Bennett who cannot be blamed for past non-performance. The “h” word is alive and well. I cannot believe the temerity of the Waikato members of Parliament in the Opposition who moan and groan about the lack of transport funding for the Waikato region. I cannot believe the “h” word and the temerity of them talking about dangerous stretches of road. What did National do in the 1990s? I know that when the member of Parliament for Hamilton East David Bennett first came to the House he was shocked. I know in his heart of hearts he was shocked and frankly he is the only member of the National Party in the Waikato who has at least shown some fight in terms of roading. I will at least acknowledge that. There was only one member in the 1990s in the Waikato who really fought tirelessly for roading and that was the member for Waikato the Hon Rob Storey who was Minister of Transport. But what did National do to the Hon Rob Storey? It sacked him. He was the honourable exception. 
Members should look at the reaction in our region and consider other comments. Michael Barnett Chief Executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and Industry commented on the western ring route announcement—again that was some important wonderful news for the Auckland region—“This is exactly the package the business community has been requesting for some time.” The Mayor of Auckland was quoted in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 the other day as saying that fundamentally Auckland and Hamilton are joined at the hip. In terms of the intertwining of the Waikato economy and the Auckland economy that is absolutely correct. Members will never hear me making critical comments on the amount of transport infrastructure investment in the Auckland region because we in the Waikato region need the Auckland economy to do well for us to do well—just as the people in Auckland need the Waikato to do well in terms of it being a major export region. 
After the wonderful announcement of the $1.3 billion extra in roading and the $215 million special Waikato roading package I take this opportunity to thank the region’s leaders for their hard work. In particular I single out and praise the good leadership role of Jenni Vernon who is the chair of Environment Waikato. I also praise and acknowledge the contribution of the three mayors of the jobs working party. I thank Mayor Stent from Taupo. Has Taupo not done well? The bypass is back on track and thanks go to Mark Burton who played a good role in that along with Mayor Stent and the people in Taupo. I also acknowledge Mayor Barriball from Thames-Coromandel and my own mayor from Hamilton Michael Redman. I acknowledge mayor Peter Harris of Waikato District and mayor Alan Livingston from Waipa District for the very good and sound leadership they have shown. I acknowledge also the Hamilton City Council and councillor Dave MacPherson who chairs the transport committee. 
There is so much about this Budget that I can be so positive about. It is a Budget for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Someone on that side of the House claimed to be some sort of historian and talked about the history books being written. I tell members that the history books will look back on this time as a proud time for our country. They will look back on Dr Michael Cullen as one of the great Ministers of Finance of our time. They will look at a Budget that invested in our children and our children’s children and that did not go for the cheap bribe the Opposition has been engaged in. They will look on the Budget as one that showed that the Government cared about much more than short-term cheap political advantage and showed that it loves and values our country and that it will invest in its long-term future. This is a country we can be proud of and only a Labour-led Government could have produced such a Budget. 
I acknowledge our Progressive party member and confidence and supply partners New Zealand First and United Future. I thank New Zealand First for the work it did with Labour on rolling out the extra police. I thank them for that wonderful announcement. I acknowledge my colleagues in New Zealand First. They are positive and they have a constructive role along with United Future. They are not carping and whining. In their heart of hearts the Opposition members know that all they can do is whinge and whine and be terribly terribly negative. That is a sad way to spend one’s political life. I am proud of this Budget. I am delighted to represent the Waikato. This Budget has been really wonderful news for our region.