Ross Jami-Lee: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Ross Jami-Lee: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 29 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4858. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
5. 
JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: What recent announcements has the Government made around transport investment? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 Mr Speaker—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I just say to members to please be a little more reasonable on interjections. They have just been too loud today on my left. Please be a little more reasonable. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Earlier today I launched the National Land Transport Programme 2012-15 which details $12.28 billion of transport spending over the next 3 years the largest 3-year transport spending programme in the country’s history. The programme focuses on key areas like economic development road safety and reduction of congestion. The Government is committed to making important investments while getting the best value for taxpayers in this big infrastructure spend. 
Jami-Lee Ross 
: How is the Government showing its commitment to public transport? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: The Government is investing over—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I apologise to the Minister. [ 
Interruption 
] Listen I am on my feet. [ 
Interruption 
] Can Ministers on this occasion please be restrained. How can I ask the Labour front bench to be interjecting less if I have Ministers carrying on like that? Please members be a little more reasonable. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think it was but was it not one of the Government members who said he is not as bad as Paul Goldsmith? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I think the House has had its fun. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: The Government is investing over $1.7 billion in public transport—an increase of 21 percent on the 2009-12 actual spend. This includes spending on new infrastructure like new rolling stock improvements in ticketing and real-time systems in urban centres. The Government believes in public transport as an important element in solving congestion problems in major cities. 
Jami-Lee Ross 
: How is the Government investing in local roads? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Another good-news story here: under the National Land Transport Programme 2012-15 the Government is investing over $4 billion which is an increase of 14 percent on the 2009-12 actual spend. No roading controlling authority is receiving less funding than its previous allocation. In July 2011 the Government formed the Road Maintenance Task Force to drive value for money and seek opportunities to reduce costs in roading authorities around the country. The interim findings will also help the New Zealand Transport Agency and local authorities to work together to achieve greater efficiencies in tough economic times. 
Jami 
-Lee Ross 
: How is the Government continuing to invest in State highways including the roads of national significance? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: This is a particularly good story. The Government is committed to the State highway network including the roads of national significance programme. It is investing over $5 billion over the next 3 years—7 percent more than in the previous programme. These roads will improve access to our ports and markets and are linked to our five largest centres of economic activity. The Victoria Park Tunnel the first of the roads of national significance was completed in 2012 under the stewardship of the previous Minister of Transport ahead of schedule and within budget. The Waikato Expressway the Tauranga Eastern Link the western ring route the Wellington Northern Corridor the Puhoi to Wellsford road and the Christchurch motorways will all be progressed in the next short while. 
Phil Twyford 
: Is it not true that today’s announcements really show that local roads and State highway maintenance continue to be starved to pay for his gold-plated motorway projects that KiwiRail is being set up to fail and that now he is having to borrow and raise taxes to make up for his wasteful mismanagement? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: No it shows that the member asking the question has a very dismal view of the portfolio.