Maurice Williamson MP
National Party Transport Spokesman

11 December 2007

More pie in the sky goals from Labour

The Government’s Update of the New Zealand Transport Strategy reeks of the same sort of puffery which has come to characterise transport policy under Labour, says National’s Transport spokesman, Maurice Williamson.

“The strategy has been dressed up as something new and forward-thinking but it is merely a re-hash of the 2002 NZTS.

“It is full of visionary goals and ‘action plans’ but there is no mention of the ‘how to’.

“At a time when the 12-month road toll is more than 8% up on the last 12 months (421 compared to 389), setting a goal of halving it by 2040 seems very much like pie on the sky.

“Specific initiatives and details of how they will reduce the road toll would be far better than publishing a wish list.

“Where, too, is a plan to address the massive $200 million underspend on roading projects across the country?

”This Labour Government has become a master at releasing documents and strategies which say absolutely nothing.

“It’s a disgrace that the huge bureaucracy of officials behind the Transport Minister has failed to come up with anything substantial in a document which aims to provide direction for the transport sector for the next 30-odd years.”

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