Big Budget Brownlee wants Auckland to sell assets for road funding

The Minister of Tarseal – sorry Transport – Gerry Brownlee should come clean and tell us he wants Auckland City to sell Ports of Auckland and our shares in Auckland Airport to fund his big budget roading projects for Auckland.

Brownlee says the government opposes the council’s options of rate increases, fuel tax increases and road tolls to raise the $12 billion needed.

He wants to be seen to side with the people of Auckland against the council’s unpopular new taxes and thereby pressure the council to sell assets instead.

This is the same tactic he used in Christchurch where he relentlessly pressured the Christchurch City Council to sell assets to pay for the Christchurch rebuild. The CCC resisted that pressure and Auckland City must do the same.

Building more roads will NOT reduce traffic congestion. Nowhere in the world has any city been able to tarseal its way out of gridlock.

Minto for Mayor is proposing an end traffic chaos in Auckland within 12 months at less than half the cost of Brownlee’s roads. We will do this using free and frequent public transport to all parts of the city’s urban area.

Our proposal will release $1.25 billion per year in extra productivity lost through traffic congestion as well as stimulating the economy with the money saved by people using free public transport.

Instead of a lose-lose scenario (more expensive roads and no end to gridlock) I’m proposing a win-win option (less than half the cost and ending gridlock within 12 months)

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