Two old and ageing ferries are going to have to work double time because of this Government’s failure to get a ferry deal.

“Nicola Willis botched the original ferry deal, failed to secure a new deal and then ran away from the mess she made," Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said.

"Winston Peters now has to watch the current rail-enabled ferry retire four years before he’s promising replacements. He hasn’t even secured a new contract, we are no clearer on cost, but he’s claiming replacements will arrive in 2029. How can New Zealanders trust that without any details?

“I feel for the workers set to lose their jobs because of this Government’s ferry failures, but job losses seem to be run-of-the-mill under this Coalition.

“Labour’s ferries would have arrived next year. In time to replace the ageing fleet so taxpayer’s money wasn’t being spent on ongoing maintenance of the old fleet and job losses would’ve been avoided.

“Winston Peters claiming he doesn’t want to pay to maintain use of the rail-enabled Aratere, when he’s getting two decades-old ferries to do double the work is ridiculous.

“At this rate we’ll have no ferries left before he even signs a contract for new ones. Who will retire first, the current fleet of Cook Strait ferries, or Winston Peters?” Tangi Utikere said.

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