Thursday 28 Feb 2002

The $227 million transport package throws money at the Greens, but fails to deliver to New Zealand's motorists, ACT Transport Spokesman MP Penny Webster said today.

"Labour's petrol tax hike has been exposed as a shameless money grab in the guise of transport assistance.

"Only forty percent of this entire package will be spent on road transport. Already, the Government filters off half the $800 million they make in road taxes. If they spent less on schemes like the Kiwibank, the $600 million Super Fund, `Innovation' strategies and bailing out Air New Zealand, we'd get the motorways built faster.

"The Transport Minister says congestion is crippling Auckland. We all know that. But no initiatives in this package are dedicated to specifically helping New Zealand's most congested city.

"The Resource Management Act is the single biggest cause of delays and headaches in transport.

"Mr Gosche wants a system `that recognises that land transport is about more than just roads'. He should tell that to rural New Zealanders who depend on cars to get where they need to go. Farmers pay a fortune to get to hospitals, shops and banks. Now they're going to pay even more so that Mr Gosche can encourage city folk to take up cycling. The $30 million dedicated to regional transport will amount to little after being divvied up around the country. It will be spent on resource management lawyers and bureaucrats.

"Mr Gosche is hitting taxpayers in the pocket in order to scratch the back of the Greens," Mrs Webster said.

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