20 May 2002

Labour Has Taken Wellington For Granted

United Future leader and Ohariu Belmont MP, Hon Peter Dunne, has rubbished claims the Labour Government has been good for Wellington.

Mr Dunne says the claims made during the weekend’s Labour Party congress are “as credible as John Davy’s curriculum vitae.”

“This government and the region’s ‘Silent Six’ Labour MPs have taken the region’s support for granted.”

“Aside from re-announcing the previous government’s decision on Wellington Hospital and then claiming it as their own, the local Labour MPs have done nothing for the region, and have rarely been seen in the last three years,” he says.

Mr Dunne says there has been no progress on any of Wellington’s ‘big issues’ since Labour came to office.

“Transmission Gully is still as far away as ever, despite Labour’s promises of action.”

“Nothing has been by the government and in fact the ‘Silent Six’ all voted against my attempts last year to fast track the project.”

“Commuter rail services are on the point of collapse, and there has been barely a murmur from the ‘Silent Six’, who seem far more interested in sorting out Auckland’s rail problems.”

“Nor has there been any sound at all from the Labour Government about the Fire Service’s plans to close two thirds of the fire stations in my electorate.”

“They are clearly right behind that, because it suits the interests of their mates in the Firefighters Union” he says.

Mr Dunne says Wellington needs “advocates not apologists” representing it in Parliament.

“The ‘Silent Six’ are far more interested in the internal politics of the Labour Party than in the Wellington region they have been elected to serve,” he says.

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