Mt Albert A Two Horse Race
John Boscawen MP
ACT New Zealand

Immediate Release: Monday, May 11 2009

ACT New Zealand Mt Albert candidate John Boscawen today welcomed National candidate Melissa Lee's - albeit unintentional – announcement that her Party will build a road in Mt Albert as opposed to the obviously unaffordable tunnel option.

"At last Ms Lee has come clean - even though she had to be backed into a corner to admit it," Mr Boscawen said.

"ACT has always favoured a surface route and has been upfront with Mt Albert residents from the start. A $2.77 billion tunnel is a luxury we cannot afford. As such it is pleasing that Ms Lee supports ACT's view that we need to focus on reducing Government spending - rather than encouraging massive borrowing that will put our children's future's in jeopardy.

"ACT has investigated an alternative surface route that utilises the existing rail corridor to the south of Hendon Avenue and continues north-east of Oakley Stream. This involves the removal of fewer than 50 houses - far fewer than David Shearer's tunnel option, which will result in the removal of over 100 houses.

"I now urge Green Party candidate Dr Russel Norman to lend his support to this option, and drop his totally unrealistic idea and non-sensible notion that the motorway should stop in Mt Roskill and disgorge thousands of cars daily onto Mt Albert Streets.

"The stupidity and insincerity of what Mr Norman peddles was exposed in the candidates' interview on Auckland University radio 95bFM today, where he expressed concern about a few additional cars exiting the proposed 24-hour McDonalds restaurant in Balmoral.

"Mr Norman's hypocrisy knows no bounds - he is happy for thousands of cars daily to disgorge onto Mt Albert Streets, but raises this as an objection to the proposed McDonalds restaurant.

"The reality is that this is a two-horse race between myself and David Shearer - Mr Norman's comment today only serves to underline that fact," Mr Boscawen said.

ENDS

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