Maurice Williamson
National Party Transport Spokesman
15 September 2005

Labour/Greens coalition will stop building roads

National's Transport spokesman, Maurice Williamson, says he wants Aucklanders concerned about traffic congestion and the lack of progress on roads to focus on what a Labour/Greens coalition government would mean for the future of roading.

In an 8 August press release, Greens Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said:

‘If the Greens are in Government after the election we’ll be insisting on prioritising national funding for public transport rather than expensive new urban highways. As a first step, this will mean earmarking all of the $500 million recently announced for new transport projects to new public transport infrastructure. It will also mean postponing the State Highway 20 western extension in favour of developing a state-of-the-art electric rail system.’

“It’s clear from this that the Greens will be ‘insisting on’, not just requesting, the diversion of money earmarked for new motorways in Auckland into public transport. This would lead to even more traffic chaos.

“Halting the work on SH20 which has only just got under way would be a tragedy.

"Auckland's transport problems are dire. The long trips to and from work will get much worse if the Greens have their way. We need to improve public transport, but first we need to get the roads working properly - and we need to do it now.

"National will spend more money on Auckland's roads and give the western ring route our urgent attention. Our package will reduce inner city traffic and increase connections between the urban arterial road network.

"Labour's desperation to get the Greens onside could mean policies like theirs will actually come to fruition under a Labour/Greens coalition. A vote for Labour would effectively mean a vote for traffic jams and standstills.”

“National is committed to getting the job done. We’ve committed to completing the strategic roading network within eight years.

“It’s not National that says there will be an end to building new roads – it’s the Greens, and Labour is touting the Greens as a viable coalition partner.

“Don’t let them wreck our chances of getting Auckland’s traffic moving again.”

ENDS

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