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Declare Hand On Transmission Gully
12 January 2001
Time For The Silent Six To Declare
Their Hand On Transmission Gully
Silence is the order of the day for local Wellington Labour MPs when it comes to the issue of Transmission Gully says Hon Peter Dunne, leader United-Future and MP for Ohariu-Belmont.
“At a time when local public support for Transmission Gully is the strongest it has ever been and some positive developments seek to advance the issue to reality, it is sad that the six local Government MPs (Annette King, Marian Hobbs, Graham Kelly, Trevor Mallard, Paul Swain and Judy Keall) are remaining silent on the issue.
“With local councils within the Wellington region potentially taking differing views on the issue, leadership from the region’s MPs is needed. In the case of my fellow Wellington MPs this is not happening. Rather they are hiding behind the differing positions of their local councils.
“What is needed is a unified regional approach to ensure Transmission Gully becomes a reality and soon. It is time for the ‘Silent Six’ to heed the strong support within the region for Transmission Gully as shown in the 25,000 signature ‘Do It Now’ petition presented to Parliament last year and the various surveys carried out by the Wellington Regional Council showing strong support for the road,” says Mr Dunne.
He says his members bill to be considered by Parliament in February gets around the differing local council positions by appointing an independent commissioner to ensure the project can proceed without all the parochialism that threatens to undermine local support for Transmission Gully.
“I urge our six silent Wellington Labour MPs to show faith in their local citizens and support my Bill even if it means crossing the floor and voting against the rest of their party colleagues.
“If they are serious about Transmission Gully and listening to the views of the people in our region then they should emerge from their Summer silence and declare their support for sensible measures to get Transmission Gully underway. A strong, unified approach from all the region’s MPs can achieve this.
“In the meantime I will continue my work to make Transmission Gully a reality after sixty years of debate and procrastination,” says Mr Dunne.
END
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