Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Twyford is the issue, not the board

Twyford is the issue, not the board

Phil Twyford can sack as many board members and go through as many Chief Executives as he likes but no problems will be solved until he accepts that he and the Government’s policies are the problem, National’s Transport spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

Minister of Transport Phil Twyford this afternoon sacked the entire New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) board, apart from the Chair, appointing five new members with two more to come.

Mr Twyford is already onto his third Chair and the Chief Executive position remains vacant.

“Transport is a disaster area for this Government. The Prime Minister’s own handpicked Business Advisory Council says we are facing ‘an infrastructure crisis’ and no new major projects have started under this Government.

“The Government has cancelled or delayed 12 major roading projects around the country, some of which were ready to go when National left office, and has caused huge uncertainty for the construction sector.

“The willingness to fire five board members in a single day severely undermines the ability of the NZTA board to fulfil its functions.

“How can a mass clean out of the NZTA board improve this disastrous situation? There will be a mass loss of institutional expertise and knowledge.

“Mr Twyford needs to realise his policies are the problem, not the board members.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.