tax. It is a central government taking and adding to a tax
which is a not relevant
to them, and, therefore, what a great opportunity
for the Minister to exempt the GST.
I call Denise Lee. Thank you, Madam
Chair. I'm happy to
I call Denise Lee. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm happy to speak to Part
2 I am going to refer to, Madam Chair,
just a heads up, an SOP in Part
1. I am doing that because I
would ask the Minister if he would have
any objections to applying this to Part
2. I am specifically referring to
amendment to the Local
Government Act 2002 and it is in schedule
10 after clause 34, insert
Act 2002 and it is in schedule 10
referring to, Madam Chair. What we've got in this section
here is that the Regional Council of
an RFT region, and I pick up on my
colleague's note that
that's particularly telling
colleague's note that that's
and its annual report must report on the revenue of the RFT scheme paid
to by the council and, B,
how that revenue as applied by the council
including to what projects
and for what purposes, for example, debt
repayment, capital expenditures,
and operation, and, C, project with
the respect to the capital programme
of projects supported
projects supported by the RFT scheme. What's not here, Madam
Chair, and this is what I
proposed in Part 1 and I'm now wanting to
know from the Minister why
it could not be here in Part 2, and that is
that the council
review the scheme at the same time as each
annual Council Budget. When
at the same time as each annual
Madam Chair, I'm not just talking about what is already listed here,
review on its annual
report on revenue, how the revenue was
applied, progress with
respect to capital projects. It's
an actually review. In other words, should
the tax still be in place, full stop,
at each annual budget for a council
to ask the question. Should it
be in place,
ask the question. Should it be in
questions. I note that earlier on in the Bill, a council must review the
extend it or replace it. How about review it on an annual basis to see
if it should still be in place. I
want to ask the Minister,
why should this question not be asked annually.
Especially given when these
Regional Fuel Tax Schemes, plural, will be
in time for a long time
Madam Chair, we don't want these schemes to get out of sight and
out of mind in councils' worlds. We
need them to be annually up to the fore
and asking fundamental questions as
to their relevance and whether they
should still stay in
place. Madam Chair, given
the rushed process to even get to this point,
do we not think that
annually, fundamentally asking, whether this
should stay in place is the right
thing to do. The process to get
to here tonight was truncated, it
was shortened. The Ministry of Transport
says
shortened. The Ministry of Transport
benefit analysis. Fuel companies have not had time to
accurately quantify the collection. There
have been a number of things that have
been rushed, not just
felt rushed but have been rushed. So
annually, let's take the time to ask
the question that is
so incredibly fundamental.
fundamental. I want to underscore the
fact that this could be in place for a
very long time
this could be in place for a very
something that lasts that long, it is beholden to us as
something that lasts that long, it
to the power that we're giving to councils to be very clear
with their ratepayers,
councils to be very clear with their
this is something that we will ask the question of annually.
So, Madam Chair, I would like to hear
from the Minister, again, it's in that clause
34B
Minister, again, it's in that clause
could be (d) and wording, feel free to take some of my wording in
my SOP for Part 1. Thank you.
to take some of my wording in my SOP for Part 1. Thank you. I
call Chris Penk. Thank you, Madam Chair, for
the opportunity to speak on this
Part 2 of
Part 2 of the Land Transport Management (Regional Fuel Tax)
Amendment Bill, for as long as I
can manage ahead of the
closing time bell. Madam Chair, these amendments