National Fails on Southland Rural Broadband Says National MP’s
While the government claims its Rural Broadband Initiative is a success in Southland, their two local MP’s say it’s a
failure.
“Until New Zealand First raised the issue of broadband connectivity in Southland in Parliament, it was clear the
Minister of Communications is at odds with her two local Southland MP’s”, says New Zealand First MP Ria Bond.
“Southland’s National MP’s Sarah Dowie and Todd Barclay say the initiative has not delivered and the region’s internet
access is subpar. They say it’s not meeting the needs of all users and the large number of blackspots and poor signal
areas are well known.
“Unfortunately, it seems like the National Government would rather believe that it’s successful, rather than being
honest about their substandard performance” says Ms Bond.
“We desperately need world class internet access to make Southland a world class province.
“It’s clear that what the local National MPs know for a fact has not been translated into Government policy in
Wellington.
“That desperately needs to change for the Southland economy to develop,” says Ms Bond.
ENDS