Forgotten Regions Get “ Piglet Barrel” Crumbs for Roads

Prime Minister John Key could have sealed, widened and built new bridges all over regional New Zealand if he hadn’t flogged off state assets for a paltry sum, says New Zealand First.

“But he deliberately ignored the wishes of New Zealanders and sold the power companies and Air New Zealand. For what? A one-off sum that will soon be spent.

“It was to pay off debt he said. Now he’s using it for tarseal and bridges.

“That’s because he’s pushed the election panic button. He’s throwing a miniscule amount from the sales into the provinces. It’s ‘piglet barrel’ politics.

“Mr Key knows he has been neglecting the regions for nearly six years.

“All over New Zealand there are unsealed roads that take huge volumes of traffic, particularly with the increase in dairy tankers and logging trucks. The dust became so bad from one road in Northland, locals blocked the road because they were so fed up and feeling sick from the dust carried into their homes.

“New Zealand First has been telling the government that the regions need support through infrastructure and job creation, that’s why we have our Royalties for the Regions scheme.

“It would allow regions to keep 25 per cent of the royalties paid for extraction of minerals, like coal, limestone, and gold mining. We estimate that more than $80 million would have gone towards regional development in 2012-13 if the scheme was already in place,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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