ACT Welcomes United Future Support

While United Future Leader Peter Dunne's response to my release on Transmission Gully and Centennial Highway is a little over-the-top, it at least shows that he hasn't completely lost interest in the issue, ACT New Zealand Wellington-based MP Heather Roy said today.

"Mr Dunne's Ohariu-Belmont constituents have complained to me that he has been silent on Transmission Gully since giving support to Labour at the last election. I, however, am delighted that he has pledged his support for this important roading project," Mrs Roy said.

"I hope Mr Dunne has made a commitment to pursuing Transmission Gully as a key point of his confidence and supply agreement with the Government. After all, Labour depends on United Future to pass legislation, and Mr Dunne does claim to have influence with the Government.

"But I do have some important questions for Mr Dunne, and am certain his supporters would also appreciate the answers:

Has he made the funding and building of a Transmission Gully Route a plank of his support of the Labour Government?

Has he persuaded his Labour party colleagues - four Ministers and two backbench Labour MPs - who hold constituent seats in the Wellington Region to also support the Transmission Gully Route and if not, why not.

What representation, if any, has he made to Transit to promote the building of this roading project? Has he questioned it on the widely diverse estimates of the costs announced to fund the project, and which of the costs does he consider to be correct?

What efforts has he made to ensure that the entire roading tax component of the price of petrol is used to fund roads?

"I look forward to Mr Dunne's answers, and to his continued support of ACT's call to address Wellington's roading problems - and I hope he can use his `persuasion' on the local Labour members," Mrs Roy said.

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