King Colin: Road User Charges Amendment Bill — In Committee 
King Colin: Road User Charges Amendment Bill — In Committee 
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COLIN KING (National—Kaikoura) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to take a call on the Road User Charges Amendment Bill. When we stop and think about the context of this bill we find that it is introducing an incentive to stimulate the development of electric vehicles. From listening to the speeches in this debate we can see that members are drilling down into a wide-ranging area. While we consider Part 1 “Amendment to preliminary provision” I draw the attention of members to the fact that it is only a bit over 100 years since we have had motor vehicles which is quite amazing when we consider what Mercedes-Benz produced back in the late 1800s compared with what the motor vehicle is like today. When we compare the Wright brothers in America and the aircraft they flew with what air travel is all about today then from that point of view what we are endeavouring to do today becomes significant. 
It is a pleasure for me to be involved in the Committee stage of this bill even though I was not involved in the select committee process. I commend the thoroughness with which the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee considered this bill and returned it to the House for its second reading. 
Most of us would have been aware of the slot car which was electrically run. We all had a lot of fun with that. I also draw to the attention of members opposite that in Marlborough one thing the elderly use a lot is the mobility scooter. When we start talking about the advances that are occurring and about how the battery is becoming far more effective in today’s use we have to use only part of our minds to imagine what will be occurring in the future. I think this bill creates an incentive. It is going some way to ensuring that we have alternatives to the motor vehicles of today that use fossil fuels. The old adage “Big things come from small beginnings” is appropriate. The member opposite talked about the atom and we can see what atomic energy and atomic medicine can do today for the human race. We are inspired by this legislation going forward; it offers a whole wide vision of opportunity going forward. 
Another point that needs to be underscored in this Committee stage of Part 1 the “Amendment of the preliminary provision” is that the bill was an election promise from National. It is good to carry that out. We on this side of the Chamber recognise the importance of being able to portray to the nation the confidence to go forward and to build on the policies of the Government and this legislation fulfils an election promise. When we consider that the average cost for a motor vehicle under the road-user charges is $36.07 per thousand kilometres which equates under a 12000 kilometre year to something in the region of $432 annually we know that that is an incentive to pass this legislation. 
I thank the member on the Government side for explaining to us why hybrid cars were not involved and that they had effectively to be plugged into an exterior power source and recharged. Some clarification was certainly greatly appreciated there. We cannot undervalue the opportunities around technology and this bill encourages that. It is interesting to note that given the dramatic recession of today and the adjustments within economies and such like we see such magnificent organisations like Chevrolet having to totally readjust themselves. It is important that New Zealand keeps pace with what other nations are doing.