Gordon Campbell: Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Ongoing Ferries Disaster

Nicola Willis and Winston Peters, the newly-anointed Minister of Rail have a plan to replace the iRex ferries that were otherwise due to arrive in 2026. Not any more. The replacement ships (a) will now arrive at an unknown time but not before 2029 (b) will cost an as yet unknown amount (c) have as yet unknown capacities. That’s before you get to (d) the unknown opportunity cost of the entirely avoidable three year delay in fixing the ferries, which will mean more trucks on the nation’s roads, more harmful emissions, more epic delays and waning public confidence in the ferries as a whole.