The Nation: Warrants of Fitness and the Greens hopes for Government

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PRIVATE VEHICLE INSPECTORS COULD STOP CARS

The Government is considering giving private companies the power to stop vehicles on the road and check them for warrants of fitness.

Speaking this weekend on TV3’s ‘The Nation’, Mr Bridges said under new reforms, cars would only need a WoF annually rather than every six months.

They may also introduce “randomised” roadside checks carried out by private companies to check the safety of people’s cars.

“It could be a private organisation who’s contracted by the Government,” he said.

“As I understand it, that’s what they do in Queensland with a very good success.”

Mr Bridges claims the Government’s moves to an annual rather than six months warrant of fitness check would increase road safety.

But he said it would be accompanied by more roadside checks.

“If all we did as a country was decrease the frequency of vehicle inspections, that in itself may lead to slightly less, or not as good safety outcomes, but if we then target it, have a better targeting of regulation to where the risk is, I think that’s a smart thing.”

He said this could include vehicle inspectors “randomised out of the roads” --- and those vehicle inspectors could come from private companies and have the power to stop vehicles.

“Those are things we look at and as I say actually I'm not ruling in or out options. “

V8 Supercar driver and four times Bathurst winner, Greg Murphy, is the face of the Motor Trade Association’s campaign against Mr Bridges’ proposals.

He argued on the programme that most New Zealanders were slack about maintaining their cars.

 “The majority of people don’t understand why we have tyres on a car and why they have tread, or we have a minimum tread depth,” he said.

“We don’t have the knowledge when it comes to mechanical understanding of cars, and it's simple things, simple things like tyre, checking tyres and knowing and understanding about what a tyre is all about. 

“Those things are basic stuff, but unfortunately unless someone tells you about you know the need and the requirement to check these things then you're not aware of it.”

RUSSEL NORMAN COULD BE FINANCE MINISTER

The Greens would agree to a full coalition with Labour if the party wins the next general election.

Leader Russel Norman, speaking this weekend on TV3’s “The Nation” said that in return the party would expect carious Cabinet portfolios including in the finance area.

“We come as a package, so we've got co-leaders, and we've got some really talented MPs, so we'd be looking at some of those key portfolios, both economics and finance portfolios, but other social and environmental portfolios as well,” he said.

He said he wouldn’t rule in or out becoming Finance Minister himself.

“Obviously we are interested in positions like that,” he said.

“But in terms of the detail you couldn’t really sort it out until you know what the vote was.

“It’s up to the voters to decide how much influence the Green Party has.”

And Mr Norman said the party could work with New Zealand First in Government.

He said the Greens and New Zealand First Leader, Winston Peters, were already working together on the Inquiry into Manufacturing.

“Our whole approach to working with other parties is where there's common ground, so we've worked with National where we've found common ground, the home insulation scheme I think was an excellent programme.

“But in terms of working with New Zealand First again it would be based on common policy.”

And on policy, Mr Norman said the party would seek to have climate change considered across a broad range of Government policies.

“I think climate change should be an issue whatever the policy is,” he said.

”We should be considering the impacts on climate change; it is the greatest global environmental and social and economic challenge we face.”

But he also said the Greens could agree to drilling for gas.

We don’t oppose it in principle but obviously it's a case by case depending on the environmental impacts,” he said.

“So if you look at fracking there's concerns there about the environmental impacts, other kinds of gas drilling don’t necessarily have the same kind of environmental impact. 

“But our main focus is on the development of renewables which is a great economic opportunity for New Zealand, and addresses climate change.”

ENDS

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