Mitchell Clayton: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMitchell Clayton: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 20 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3458. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.CLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First) to the Minister of Transport: What is the Government doing about the Tauranga Central Corridor?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Transport): A lot and that is because we committed to the Tauranga Central Corridor and are going to invest over $100 million in the project. The member may be aware that enabling works have started and construction of the Maungatapu-Hairini underpass will start a little later this year. If the member is a really good boy I might even invite him to the opening. If he is really really good he might get a cucumber sandwich.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That will not help the order of this House.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. A lot of things are said in this House but those would be some of the most insulting words I have ever heard. To refer to a member of Parliament—who has had a real man’s background not like his—as a boy is just unacceptable—Mr SPEAKER: Order! It certainly was not going to bring order to the House and that is why I asked the Minister to conclude his answer. If the member took offence at it—Clayton Mitchell: Yes I did. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member has taken offence at that remark. I require the Minister to withdraw the remark.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I withdraw and apologise.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! If the member wishes to join his colleague?Ron Mark: Mr Speaker my question is to you.Mr SPEAKER: If it is a point of order would you—Ron Mark: You are the last—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the member simply raise his point of order immediately.Ron Mark: Why should the Opposition have to ask you to deal with that sort of behaviour?Mr SPEAKER: What is—Ron Mark: Why should we have to ask—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will sit down. [Interruption] Order! If the member would go back and study the Hansard he will see that as soon as the remark was made I told the Minister to cease. I was surprised that a member then took offence at it but if a member takes offence the process is that I ask the Minister to withdraw. That has been the process for as long as I have been here and that is considerably longer than Ron Mark.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Is this a fresh point of order?Hon Gerry Brownlee: It is a fresh point of order.Mr SPEAKER: Fresh point of order the Hon Gerry Brownlee.Hon Gerry Brownlee: From time to time things are said in the House that may be offensive to members. There are other times when things are said in the House that are so offensive to members that there is a consideration as to whether or not that matter should be raised at all. I would suggest Mr Speaker that when you get back to your office you have a look at the Twitter feeds so that we could see that some of the hypocrisy that is being offered by the New Zealand First Party today is a complete disgrace.Clayton Mitchell: Does the Minister acknowledge National’s commitment to create a four-lane State highway—not a local road—to run from the Welcome Bay underpass across the Turret Road bridge and along Fifteenth Avenue by 2015?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Of course what we are doing is in substance keeping the announcement. That is why we are spending over $100 million on this area. But it is a staged project. That is why at the moment stages one and two—the early stages—worth some $20 million of work are occurring. That is why stage four—where the member as I say if he is lucky can have a cucumber sandwich—is about to occur and it is worth some $68 million of underpass. Then as required we will look at the third stage.Clayton Mitchell: What is the Minister doing to prevent the Fifteenth Avenue State Highway 2A from becoming part of the local road network and putting half of the cost of the upgrade on Tauranga ratepayers against National’s original commitment?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Whether it is a State highway or a local road it is of some significance to the agencies involved but in a sense from the Government’s perspective it is neither here nor there. Unlike New Zealand First we are in Government and we can make these projects happen.Clayton Mitchell: Does the Minister understand that for the Welcome Bay underpass to be effective the widening of Turret Road and Fifteenth Avenue needs to happen at the same time?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I thank the member for his opinion. I understand what is required in relation to that underpass and project and also what is required in Tauranga. That is why we have spent some $800 million in the last 3 years and achieved much more in transport than the New Zealand First - Labour Government ever did.