7. Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON (National—Pakuranga) Link to this
to the Minister of Transport
Can he guarantee that the increased funding that will be made available to the National Land Transport Programme will be enough to ensure the completion of the August 2005 Transit New Zealand 10-year State highway forecast as published?
Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister of Transport) Link to this
I am assured by the Minister of Finance that that is his intention.
Hon Maurice Williamson Link to this
Can the Minister, or anybody in the House, have any confidence in a process that had the chief executive of Transit asked on Morning Report“Have you heard anything from the Government that they are going to make up the $685 million shortfall?”, and the chief executive replied: “I’ve only heard that advice this morning as you did on the radio.”, and is he worried that if the chief executive had been in the shower at the time, he may not have known the money was coming?
No, I am not worried by that. As I said before, I am assured by the Minister of Finance that it is his intention that we increase the funding to the State highway budget so as to meet the projections that were forecast in August last year.
David BennettHow does the Minister of Transport explain the comments of Hamilton West MP, Martin Gallagher, in the Waikato Times on 1 March that: “It’s my credibility … You can imagine how I feel. I don’t like it one bit … I am just aghast at what’s gone on … It’s like groundhog day … Transit has put eggs on a lot of our faces.”, in regard to Transit’s 10-year plan for Hamilton, when both the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Finance knew late last year that Transit would be making such arrangements in the latest 10-year plan?
Madam SPEAKERI remind members, even of the same party, that if they interject during questions they put themselves at risk.
I am sure that the member for Hamilton West—Mr Gallagher—the local councils, and the local population in Hamilton will be relieved and pleased when they see the final form of the State highway plan in June.
Martin GallagherI raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I seek leave for the member to table that Waikato Times article so that the House can clearly understand that the last three or four sentences attributed to me were not correct.
Peter BrownDoes the Minister accept that had the Hon Maurice Williamson, when he was Minister of Transport, not stopped the gradual transfer of petrol tax from the Crown account into the roading account, there would now be billions of dollars—
Hon Dr Nick Smith Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The question being asked by Mr Brown is clearly outside the Standing Orders. The Minister cannot be responsible for things that were done, or were not done, last century. Right from the beginning, the question was clearly out of order.
Would the member like to rephrase his question so that it is specific to the Minister’s responsibility.
Is the Minister aware that had the Hon Maurice Williamson, when he was Minister of Transport, not stopped the gradual transfer of petrol tax from the Crown account into the roading account, there would be billions of dollars more in the roading account, and that our roading problems would be much less severe?
I am aware that, at the time, National blocked proposals from New Zealand First to divert more of the petrol tax into roading rather than the consolidated account. I am not surprised by that, because, even at the last election, National was saying that it would not divert the fund until after 6 years.
Gerry BrownleeI raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. It is interesting that you allowed that question, after Nick Smith had questioned whether it was appropriate. It seems to me that it would be just as appropriate for someone on this side of the House to take a trivial point of order and suggest that the transfer was not made, and that the Government could pay for the absolutely dopey policies of New Zealand First that were part of the price of coalition, and then ask the question of how much more funding that should go to roads is being diverted now to pay the price of dopey policies and coalition arrangements with New Zealand First.
Hon Dr Michael Cullen Link to this
First of all, I am appalled that the member described the abolition of the surcharge on superannuation as a dopey policy. It was, in fact, the main condition New Zealand First imposed for coalition in 1996. But, more substantially, although the Minister has no responsibility for what Mr Maurice Williamson did—indeed, most of his colleagues have denied they have responsibility for that—the reality is that the consequences of that decision may still be current, and they are the responsibility of the current Minister of Transport.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. My complaint is twofold. Firstly, Mr Brownlee got up and added a whole lot of words into his supposedly valid complaint, and talked about New Zealand First’s dopey policies—funny, that; National stole them all at the last election. My second point—
Members will come to order, or it will be a very empty House soon. I know the prospect is entertaining for some, but will the member please address the point succinctly.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
My second complaint is that Mr Bennett got up and, I believe, purported to read from a newspaper when that newspaper article, in the way he recited it, simply does not exist. Now, that is a very serious offence in this House, and if he wishes to dislodge that claim, he can table the document he said he quoted from.
He may well do that, if he is given an opportunity to do so, but it is too late, because the House has addressed that point of order. The point I want to come back to is the point raised by Mr Brownlee. When questions are asked, certainly historical comparisons are permitted—provided, of course, that they relate to the Minister’s portfolio. In that particular instance, they did.
Hon Mark GoscheIs the Minister aware that if he had been looking in 1999 for a 10-year State highway forecast for highways to be built in Auckland, it would have looked like this blank sheet of paper—absolutely bare, with nothing on it—and if the then Minister, Mr Williamson had dropped it, it would have gone altogether?
It is very difficult to hear. I ask the Hon Mark Gosche, please, to rephrase his question in terms of ministerial responsibility—and I wish all members to hear that so I do not have to ask them twice, because they will lose their questions if I do.
Is the Minister aware that if he had been looking in 1999 for a 10-year forecast for State highways to be built in Auckland in the following 10 years, it would have looked like a blank sheet of paper, and had the Hon Maurice Williamson then dropped the forecast, it would have gone altogether?
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. That question cannot possibly be in order; otherwise it would lead the House to all sorts of questions about all sorts of irrelevant and extraneous matters. The question must be asked: why can a man of Mr Gosche’s experience—a former Minister of Transport—not ask something that is more helpful to someone on his own side?
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
How can the Minister justify the recent announcement of further delays to the upgrading of New Zealand’s most deadly highway, State Highway 2 between Pōkeno and Thames, where over 40 lives have been lost in less than 5 years, giving it the name the “killer highway”; and how many more lives will be lost before his Government commits to a four-lane expressway over that section of State Highway 2?
I am informed that work has already commenced on that stretch of highway. But, further, I note that the final outcome of the 10-year State highway forecast will not be known until June.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I asked a very clear question of how the Minister could justify the delays, and he in no way—
What reports has the Minister of Transport received from the Hamilton City Council regarding a breach of contract by Transit in its recently announced 10-year plan, due to the council having taken actions in reliance on its agreement with Transit to complete the Avalon Drive bypass in the 2006-07 year; and what does the Minister intend to do about that?
I am, of course, aware of dissatisfaction in the Hamilton area with the current draft State highway plan. I envisage people will be much more pleased when they see the final version.
Can the Minister confirm—notwithstanding the hard-working Hamilton West member’s frustration at aspects of Transit’s processes, which is shared by the Hon Trevor Mallard and other Ministers—that road funding in the Waikato has increased significantly under this Government?
That is, indeed, true, and will be even more so when the final State highway forecast comes out in June.
To clear up any ambiguity, I seek leave to table the Waikato Times article alluded to by the member for Hamilton West.
Hon Dr Nick Smith Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I would just like clarification from the member who is seeking leave as to whether he said in that article that this was another groundhog day.