Grant Robertson: Taxpayer Hero? Union Urges U-turn On SkyPath
Responding to reports that the Finance Minister is considering scrapping the planned $785 million cycle bridge, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says:
“Grant Robertson has clearly paid close attention to the Curia poll commissioned by the Taxpayers’ Union showing that 63 percent of New Zealanders oppose the cycle bridge. As the Government’s fiscal steward, we’re urging him to shut the Transport Minister’s plans down quickly, before millions are spent on consultation documents and engineering reports.”
“This proposal has perhaps been the Government’s worst political misfire. Even Labour supporters don’t want a gold-plated bridge for the sake of the Takapuna lycra mob – especially when other parts of our transport system, used by a wider range of New Zealanders, have gone neglected.”
The Curia Market Research poll covered the period of 13-17 June, with a sample size of 992 respondents. 52% strongly opposed the bridge, 11% somewhat opposed, 8% somewhat supported, 10% strongly supported, and 20% were neutral or unsure. The full data set can be viewed here.