Iain Lees-Galloway
Transport Spokesperson

1 August 2013

50-50 rail link funding? Who us?

Now that the fanfare of John Key’s Auckland City Rail Link announcement is a faded memory, it’s back to business-as-usual for rail sceptic Gerry Brownlee, says Labour’s Transport Spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.

“Mr Brownlee confirmed today that National has made no funding commitment at all for the Auckland City Rail Link.

“Gerry Brownlee has never supported Auckland’s public transport plans. Despite John Key’s belated realisation that his Transport Minister’s lack of appetite for rail was electoral poison, Gerry Brownlee still refuses to make a firm funding commitment to the Auckland City Rail Link.

“While Mr Key may have hoodwinked any number of people into thinking it would be a 50-50 partnership, Aucklanders can have no confidence that National will ever build the public transport infrastructure their city needs to boost productivity, grow the economy and create jobs.

The funding is not set and the start date is off in the never-never, when John Key and Gerry Brownlee will be long gone. This is just another feel-good announcement with no commitments to back it up.

“Labour’s position is unequivocal.

“Labour will fund 50 per cent of the Auckland City Rail Link and will work with the Auckland Council to start construction in 2015-16.

ENDS

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New Court Orders, Screening, Guardianship Changes...: Government Ignoring Poverty, Again

It remains to be seen if announcements today will better protect children, but the National Government is forgoing an opportunity to really help kids by ignoring the elephant in the room, which is poverty, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei says.

"All the experts have told the Government that very low income is associated with higher rates of child maltreatment and neglect -- something which was totally ignored in the Government's Children's Action Plan and the announcements today," Mrs Turei said. More>>