Commonsense improvement to Bill

Media Release
6 November 2003

Commonsense improvement to Bill

United Future transport spokesperson Larry Baldock has been congratulated for getting efficiency and effectiveness inserted into the Land Transport Management Bill by the Chief Executive Officer of Road Transport Forum NZ, Tony Friedlander. The Bill is having its third reading this afternoon.

“Unchanged the Bill meant large sums of road-user money could be thrown at pet projects without any serious regard to the return that would be produced for the spending. That may have suited the Greens but most other people are opposed to wasting money.”

Mr Baldock’s amendment introduces commonsense criteria which should help ensure that value for money gets appropriate consideration when land transport spending is being decided, Mr Friedlander says.

“The rest of the Bill is still a huge disappointment. It is appalling that the wishes of a party which got the support of just seven percent of the vote last election has been allowed to largely write the content of this legislation. Road users are the ones who will suffer, but at least Mr Baldock’s sensible amendment should temper the possibility of profligate and pointless spending.”

ENDS

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