Doocey MattMATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri): Thank you very much Madam Chair. It's a real privilege to rise in my new spokesperson role of associate transport. I'm looking forward to getting into this new role because as we know every New Zealander is a transport expert. I am looking forward to ensuring that people who are transport experts from their armchair and who do enjoy getting into their car and driving on a road get their views heard up here in the beltway of Wellington. The Government is very clear. Each year they have a year of something—the year of the vaccine. Well it's very clear this year is going to be the year of inflation. So we've got interest rates going up we've got petrol prices going up we've got rent going up and house prices and what do they want to do? Bring in a ute tax. That's what this bill is going to do. It's going to tax hard-working Kiwis who can't drive an electric vehicle (EV)—farmers tradies those who have large families and need a larger car those who can't afford an EV. And it's very clear a Labour Government when they run out of money they come after yours. That's exactly what this bill is about. The Minister crowed at the start of his speech in the second reading Oh this policy's working already." Well no wonder it's working already; they're doling out free money. Of course it's working. Oh Labour 101—use the taxpayers' money. And when they're doling out that free money it's driving up the price of EVs so now EVs are more expensive. And yet what they're doing is they're stripping that money off hard-working Kiwis farmers and tradies who now have to pay a ute tax to afford this Government blowing their money on let's be honest fairly affluent people who want to buy an EV and in the first week of the sitting year for 2022—the second kick in the guts for regions of New Zealand because that's where this policy is going to be the most hard hit is in the regions. The first kick in the guts was the Prime Minister's statement. Nothing about regional roads especially if you're in the South Island. I challenge the transport Minister to come down to North Canterbury and explain this policy to hard-working north Cantabrians because I do note that not one transport Minister has come to North Canterbury in four years of Government. And Duncan Webb knows why because they've cancelled vital roading projects when they first came into Government in 2018 after the National Government announced the Woodend bypass as the next roads of national significance. Because let's be very clear: whether it be electric whether it be hydrogen you're going to need a road to drive that car on. Aren't you? And here these guys are they won't build a road in regional New Zealand especially in the South Island and yet they'll tax hard-working tradies and farmers who have no other option. This side of the House stands behind increasing the number of EVs in New Zealand. Greg O'Connor—in fact I thought he was going to cross the floor with his speech. He greatly outlined the legacy of the National Party in developing and incentivising EVs and he gave a great history of it and we're quite proud of that. But what we're not going to do is go out and kick hard-working Kiwis in the guts because they don't have a choice. This is nothing but a tax on our farmers on our tradies on people who have large families and need larger cars and for those quite simply who can't afford an EV. You know what? In the old days Labour used to stand up for working people. Now it's nothing but chardonnay socialism. This Government is a failed socialist experiment and this law is another example of their socialist failure. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): Naisi Chen—five minutes."