Stuart Nash

MP for Napier
Police Spokesperson
MEDIA STATEMENT

12 April 2016

Roads more dangerous after Police lost funding

Our roads will be more dangerous after the Police lost $26 million funding for road safety following a scrap with the Transport Agency, Labour’s Police spokesperson Stuart Nash says.

“Documents obtained by Labour under the Official Information Act show Police sought $986 million funding for the 2015/18 period but only got $960 million after the Transport Agency argued they were entitled to some of that funding.

“The $960 million Police received is still $14 million short of what it needs just to retain current staffing levels.

“These documents show Police were warned this funding cut is likely to mean roads will be less safe.

“In the first quarter of 2014 there were 67 people killed on our roads. That rose to 91 in the first quarter of this year.

“Less funding for road safety means less police on our roads and that makes our roads a more dangerous place.

“The Government needs to ask itself – and the families of the 91 people who lost their loved ones at the start of this year – what price it puts on life.

“This shouldn’t be about money. It’s about saving lives and reducing serious injury. We want fewer less kiwis dying on our roads,” Stuart Nash says.

http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1604/Police_Road_Funding_OIA_April_2016.pdf

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