Transport Advocate Useless Without Clout

Friday 7 Dec 2001 Penny Webster Press Releases -- Transport

Auckland doesn't need yet another transport `advocate', ACT Transport Spokesman MP Penny Webster said today.

"A total of 15 public sector bodies are already involved in Auckland Transport, as well as numerous private sector groups.

"The Ministers should give this position some guts and hand Grant Kirby the money and authority to allocate funding. As a Rodney local, I was impressed with the work Mr Kirby did in that district. But if he is to achieve anything in Auckland, his job needs to have far more clout. Thirty years have shown us that talking just doesn't get the roads built.

"We need somebody with some power and some drive to actually get the job done. All that seems to ever happen is talk, talk, and more talk. We've been talking for thirty-five years, with no sign of progress.

"We need someone with authority to commission the work and allocate the funding - not an `advocate' for Judith Tizard and Mark Gosche to pass the buck to," Mrs Webster said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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