8. Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON (National—Pakuranga) Link to this
to the Minister of Transport
Does she stand by the vision set out in the New Zealand Transport Strategy that “By 2010 New Zealand will have an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive, and sustainable transport system.”; if not, why not?
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Transport) Link to this
Yes, the vision is one this Government believes in, and that is why it has invested so heavily in the New Zealand transport system. For example, we have seen increases in investment from around $1 billion in 1999-2000 to an estimated $2.9 billion in 2007-08. Considerable progress has been made on all the objectives in the New Zealand Transport Strategy and more will be made in our next term of Government.
Hon Maurice Williamson Link to this
Can I ask the Minister how she believes that the goals of the New Zealand Transport Strategy could ever be met while her own ministerial advisory group on road costings said that the current system lacks rigour, that projects are exploding beyond their real cost, that no one seems to be being held accountable for value for money, and, in fact, it is a complete indictment on the roading system; that is the opinion of her own advisory group and not the National Party?
The ministerial advisory group report is a very good report that the Government has taken seriously. We will hear an announcement about that in the near future. However, to take one report, which took the member 1 month to even find that it had been released, and it took another month for him to find when we had released the Cabinet committee on Government expenditure and administration reports, is to ignore some of the very good things that have happened in terms of implementing such a strategy. For example, public transport boardings have increased by 16 percent between 2000 and 2005-06, more construction is taking place than has ever been seen in decades in this country, a coastal shipping strategy is being developed, railway networks are being revitalised, and we even have more than 200 walking school buses in Auckland—something we did not have when that member had absolutely no interest in Auckland at all.
Hon Maurice Williamson Link to this
How does the Minister believe that the goals of the New Zealand Transport Strategy can ever be met when her own Cabinet committee on Government expenditure and administration internal investigation found that the objectives are set at too high a level, lack specificity and do not contain measurable targets, that there is little sense of interrelationship between the strategy objectives and whether and how they will meet the needs of the industry, that the Ministry is not fulfilling its role of strategic policy advice and leadership, and that there is scope for a dramatic increase in the precision of accountability; this is a second report, on top of the first report by a ministerial advisory group—now an internal Cabinet committee on Government expenditure and administration report says the place is completely dysfunctional?
It is totally overcooked for the member to say that it is totally dysfunctional. In fact, it is absolute nonsense to say it is totally dysfunctional. Mind you, he talks in that very flowery language, but never did anything as Minister of Transport, and let me just say this: was there a transport strategy under Maurice Williamson as Minister of Transport? No, there was not. There was no plan; they were going nowhere, and Aucklanders knew it.
Hon Paul SwainHas the Minister seen any reports on a proposal to corporatise and ultimately privatise the roads in New Zealand; if she has, how would those help with the strategy of having an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive, and sustainable transport system?
Yes, I have seen such suggestions. In fact, that is the policy of the National Party transport spokesperson—his policy was to privatise the roads of New Zealand. There would have been a backlash around this country like members have never seen before, if he had ever got the opportunity to privatise our roads. It certainly is not our policy.
Hon Maurice Williamson Link to this
How does the Minister believe that the goals of the New Zealand Transport Strategy can ever be met when her own chairman of Transit told a select committee 2 months ago: “One of the difficulties is that we are finding we are having to do a lot of things to gain consent under the RMA and the environment court that is adding a lot of cost to each project, and getting consents is now costing Transit a lot more than could have ever been expected, project by project.”?
Yes, I think it is fair to say that there are difficulties in terms of being able to spend all the money the Government has been putting in. For example, National was able to spend a total of $145 million a year in Auckland when it was in Government. Compare that with today, with $1.4 billion spent in Auckland. Transit is finding it difficult to spend; it does have to go through consultation. But put the record of this Government against the abysmal record of a National Government that never cared about transport and still does not today—otherwise, Maurice would not have the portfolio.
Hon Maurice Williamson Link to this
Can I just get the Minister to clarify: is she telling this House that in the light of a ministerial advisory group report, which is scathing about the lack of value for money—
Hon Maurice Williamson Link to this
If the member would like, later on in the general debate I am really happy to read out what the report says. In the light of the Cabinet committee on Government expenditure and administration report, which basically says the place is dysfunctional and needs a complete redo, in the light of the chairman of Transit saying that costs are now blowing out such that every project they are trying to do is costing way beyond what could be expected, is the Minister telling us that apart from all of that, everything is OK?
No, this Government has said that we can always do better. We have spent the last 7½ years investing money into transport, ensuring that we have projects being implemented, that we have passenger transport taken seriously. We have said that we can always do better, however; therefore, the next step is a review, and I will be pleased to announce to the member very shortly the results of that review.