Jami-Lee Ross - Transport

14 June 2018

The Prime Minister has again misled New Zealanders, this time breaking her promise that one of regional New Zealand’s most important roading projects would not be affected by the Government’s transport changes, National’s Transport spokesperson, Jami-Lee Ross says.

“New Zealanders were told just months ago by Jacinda Ardern and Transport Minister Phil Twyford that their new transport policies, including ripping $5 billion from the state highway budget, would not threaten major projects like the Otaki to Levin expressway.

"Both the Prime Minister and Mr Twyford gave repeated, specific assurances that the much-needed expressway started by National ‘is continuing in the same way’, and claiming the Opposition saying otherwise was ‘a political stunt designed to confuse the public.

“Well they owe the public an apology because they were wrong.

“Today both Mr Twyford and NZTA have been forced to confirm the expressway’s future is now up in the air because of Labour’s ill-thought through transport changes and its decision to substantially reduce funding at the expense of critical roading projects around our regions.

“NZTA has also confirmed a number of other major projects are being re-evaluated because of the Government’s unhealthy obsession with trams.

“Projects such as the Tauranga Northern Link have been halted.

“This is gutting for regional New Zealand whose major projects greenlit by the previous Government, to upgrade roads in some of the busiest and most dangerous areas, are now being put on hold so that Phil Twyford can build a tram set in Auckland.

“New Zealanders were promised their regional roads would go ahead and are paying new roading taxes which they thought would ensure that. It’s another broken promise and another example of an incompetent and clumsy Government saying one thing and doing another.”

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