Maurice Williamson National Party Transport Spokesman

10 June 2005

Suddenly something happened to the road

National Party Transport spokesman, Maurice Williamson, says Transit Board member Mike Williams, who is also Labour Party President, should resign from Transit today.

"For years Transit has been putting out documents giving dates when the Mt Roskill extension of SH20 was to have been started and indeed, in some cases, completed by now.

"But up until yesterday nothing had actually happened." says Mr Williamson.

"In 2001, Transit put out a detailed document saying the project would start in 2002 and be completed by May 2005. It didn't happen.

"In August 2004, Transit put out a glossy flyer to all homes in Auckland saying it was going to start in 2004. It didn't happen.

"At a meeting in Wellington last week the Auckland Chamber of Commerce CEO, Michael Barnett, pointed out to Michael Cullen that the project still had not started.

"For some unexplained reason Labour Party President Mike Williams was also at the meeting and he claimed Mr Barnett was wrong.

"But it was Mike Williams who was wrong, and Michael Cullen was forced to make a personal visit to the Chamber to apologise on Williams' behalf.

"And then suddenly, after years of procrastination, Transit announced that work on the road is going to start in August this year.

"This is amazing. All it took was for the Labour Party President/Transit board member to get himself into trouble and suddenly they announce that the work will start.

"Transit should be an independent body, but Mr Williams has compromised that neutrality by politicising it," says Mr Williamson.

"He has to decide which he wants to be: Labour Party President or Transit board member. He can't keep both jobs. He must resign from one of them today."

ENDS

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