1. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Has she received any reports that suggest imposing a $50 per week charge for using New Zealand roads?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) Link to this
Yes, I saw a report of someone saying that he did not know anyone who would not pay a new toll of $5 each way, or $50 a week, to drive to work. That person was Maurice Williamson, who just gobbled up the people’s tax cut from the National Party.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
Having regard to the comments made by Mr Williamson on Agenda, can the Prime Minister recall the comments made by him on 5 April 1995—
Gerry BrownleeRt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
—I will get into you shortly—regarding a bill that was designed to have all road taxes go to roading: “I want to start by saying right from the very beginning that the Government is totally opposed to this bill,” and further, “Yes, in the very unlikely event that they ever came to power would they actually do it if they were in Government or part of a coalition Government? I can tell members that I know the answer to that question—the answer is no, a Labour Government would not do that.”?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
Maurice Williamson is known as an enthusiastic member, and what we saw on Sunday was his enthusiasm for privatisation going beyond that which he floated for the roads in the 1990s, to the private building of our schools, our hospitals, our prisons, and heaven knows what else, at great cost to the Kiwi public.
Hon Bill EnglishWas the Prime Minister thinking about costs to motorists when Labour issued the policy that proposes a tax on car emissions, when those emissions are higher than that of a Suzuki Swift, with the effect that under Labour a Toyota Hiace van will cost $4,600 more to run in 2009, rising to $11,250 more by 2015; and does she agree with the Minister who signed the foreword, that the vehicle fuel economy standard is an important initiative to assist Labour in achieving its transport strategy goals, its energy strategy goals, and its climate change goals, at the expense of thousands of dollars to the motorist?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
I thank the National Party’s de facto spokesperson on transport for the question. I note he was wheeled out yesterday because Mr Williamson, who is also the Opposition spokesperson on communications, apparently could not find a telephone to ring Nine to Noon on Radio New Zealand National. I find it interesting that the first reaction of the de facto spokesperson on transport was to go straight back into climate change denial and pretend that nothing should be done about transport emissions.
Hon Jim AndertonHas the Prime Minister seen any reports that indicate whether it is more likely that someone who said road tolls should be $50 a week really meant that tolls should be a bit less than $50 a week, that someone who said Kiwibank would not be sold really meant that it would not be sold just yet, and that somebody who said he would get rid of KiwiSaver really meant that no decisions have yet been made; or that all of those statements were right the first time round because they were accurate reports of the National Party’s secret agenda?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
Thanks to the open and transparent methods of members like Maurice Williamson the agenda is no longer quite so secret, and that is very much in the interests of the Kiwi public as we come up to an election where people will make a choice.
Sue KedgleyCan the Prime Minister confirm that it would cost a toll of $10 a trip to recover the full cost of Transmission Gully—as the Minister of Transport revealed yesterday—and how many Wellingtonians does she think would be prepared to fork out $10 every time they were to travel on Transmission Gully?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
In response to the member, the Minister of Transport has used a figure of around $10 each way, and I would have thought that figure would not be acceptable to commuters up the Kapiti Coast, at this time. I hasten to add that the Minister of Transport did not propose that toll. That is National Party policy—just as tolling the Kōpū Bridge, which is an essential roadway to the Coromandel peninsula, is National Party policy.
Peter BrownDoes the Prime Minister agree that private-public partnerships are not all they are cracked up to be—for example, the Clem Jones Tunnel in Brisbane, forecast to cost $A2 billion is now likely to cost $A4 billion; the CrossCity Motorway Consortium building the CrossCity motorway in Sydney has gone into receivership; and Metronet, an organisation involved in the London underground system, is also experiencing serious financial problems?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
The member has rightly drawn our attention to a number of cases where public-private partnerships clearly have not worked particularly well. But let me give a local example of the National Party getting the private sector to build the Napier Health Centre for the public sector. National signed up to a lease for 13 years of $1.2 million a year. It would have spent more over the course of the lease than the building is worth, and there was no ownership of the building at the end. What a loser set of policies—and Mr Williamson was advocating the private sector building public facilities in health, yet again!
Can the Prime Minister tell the House whether it is Labour policy that it will tax cars on their emissions in excess of the level of those emissions of a Suzuki Swift, with the effect that a Toyota Hiace van will pay a tax of $4,650 next year and $11,000 by 2015, and that a Holden Commodore will be levied $11,000 under this plan signed by her Minister?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
As the member is well aware, the Government’s policy is to impose a cost on carbon. I understand that is also the National Party’s policy—except that National will never agree to any scheme advanced by this Government, because National is a destructive Opposition. I thank those parties that are prepared to work constructively with the Government to make sure that this country has a responsible approach to reducing our use of carbon.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The Prime Minister appears to be confused. My question was not about the emissions trading scheme; it is—as Dr Cullen is trying to point out to her now—about a Government proposal to improve the fuel economy of vehicles as a supplementary measure, which involves taxing vehicles to the extent of $10,000 or $11,000. I asked the Prime Minister whether this document I have in my hand, issued by the Government and signed by the Minister of Transport, is Government policy. The Prime Minister did not address the question.
Madam SPEAKERThe Prime Minister addressed the question—obviously not in a way to the satisfaction of the member, but I listened carefully and it was addressed.
Will the Prime Minister tell the House whether this proposal, which has nothing to do with the emissions trading scheme, for taxing cars on their emissions to the extent that a Toyota—[ Interruption] I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I would prefer to be able to ask the question in a way that the House can hear it without continuous interruption.
Hon Dr Michael Cullen Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The member could very easily assist the House by simply telling us what the date is on that document.
If it is so long ago that the Prime Minister has forgotten, then she needs to be briefed on her policies.
Will the Prime Minister stop trying to avoid the question and give an answer. Is this policy, which was outlined by the Ministry of Transport in a public discussion document signed by her Minister and is a proposal to tax vehicle emissions with the effect that a Toyota Hiace van will be liable for a tax of $4,500 next year, and over $11,000 by 2015, and a Holden Commodore will be liable for a tax of $11,000, Labour’s policy?
Hon Dr Michael Cullen Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. We have just had an interjection that implied that Mr English has been manufacturing a document. Dr Smith just claimed there is a secret agenda, and Mr English has been waving what is a public document in front of the House.
No, that is not a point of order. Please be seated. I will just remind members that points of order are heard in silence. We have had two now, and on both occasions there have been interjections. So that is your warning.
Dr Russel NormanHas the Prime Minister read yesterday’s press release from the Sustainable Business Network arguing that both Labour and National are letting their obsession with building new roads distract them from the real priorities for infrastructure investment, namely public transport; and in the context of rising petrol prices resulting in falling traffic numbers, will she answer the network’s telling question: “Why build new roads for motorists who won’t use them, tolls or no tolls.”?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
The Government takes the view that there is a roading network to be completed—for example, in Auckland, and clearly there are improvements that need to be made in other places—but we have increased investment in public transport by over 15 times as much as we inherited. That will have to keep happening because, increasingly, with high prices of fuel internationally, people are looking for alternative modes of transport.
Has she read the recent report from the New Zealand Transport and Logistics Business Week stating, in relation to the policy of building yet more road capacity nationwide: “It is hard to imagine a more short-sighted and economically crippling strategy.”, and can she confirm that this economically crippling strategy seems to be shared by both sides of the House?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
No; I repeat that the Government takes the view that there are roading improvements that need to be made, and a network in Auckland that needs to be completed. But I also point out that in sustainability strategies this Government has issued we are, for example, looking to be an early adopter of electric car technology in this country. There is an enormous amount of research going on worldwide into technologies that would run cars without petroleum, and I think it highly likely that, one way or another, human ingenuity will find ways of keeping the private vehicle going beyond the use of the world’s oil supply.