National Caught Out Over By-Election Highway Promise
National has misled voters with its by-election bribe to build the Puhoi to Wellsford highway, says New Zealand First
Leader and Northland candidate Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“Under questions in Parliament today Transport Minister Simon Bridges scoffed when asked by New Zealand First MP Denis
O’Rourke for the plan and costings.
“Mr Bridges was embarrassingly forced to return to the House to correct his statement that the Puhoi to Wellsford leg
had been consented. In fact the highway has only been consented from Puhoi to Warkworth.
“There is no plan and there are no costings for the highway extension to Wellsford that National’s Northland candidate
promised would get under way in 2016. He was supported by the Minister of Economic Development.
“This was a pure election stunt to bribe Northland voters just as the 10-bridge promise was.
“The ‘Derby and Joan’ bridge is a non-goer for a start.
“Typical of National reeling out promises as it panics to retain the Northland electorate.
“Bribes are flowing without restraint and with no veracity.
“We have caught out Ministers and their candidate indulging in trickery by claiming that the government has been
progressing the whole Pūhoi to Wellsford project when it is just the Pūhoi to Warkworth section,” says Mr Peters.
ENDS