Iain
LEES-GALLOWAY
Transport Spokesperson
10 July 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT
Cost no barrier to Brownlee’s PPP

Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee’s pig-headedness was on full display today when he wrote off $2 billion of taxpayer money as being 'irrelevant', Labour’s Transport spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway says.

“Answering questions at select committee today Mr Brownlee said Transmission Gully will be built by public private partnership (PPP) even if doing so is more expensive than usual public sector contracting.

“The extra $2 billion that would add to the lifetime cost of the road was ‘irrelevant’.

"Mr Brownlee has confirmed what Labour has long known - that the Transmission Gully PPP is all about ideology and has nothing to do with sound economic decision making.

"Committing to a public private partnership before the bids are in is economic lunacy. By denying any opportunity to compare those bids with the public sector comparator, Gerry Brownlee is signing taxpayers up to unnecessary costs.

"National's profligate spending on its low-value Roads of National Significance means the Government needs borrowed money build Transmission Gully. To describe $2 billion as irrelevant just shows how out of touch National is.

"The Government is quick to tell hard-working families they need to tighten their belts, yet when it comes to handing taxpayers’ money over to bankers, the sky's the limit.

"A Labour-led Government will make responsible use of taxpayers' money to build an integrated transport network that supports economic development in all parts of New Zealand.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media