MEDIA RELEASE
Williamson Out Of Touch Again.
25 August 2008
“It is outrageous that anyone would dream up the idea of giving voters $50 in tax cuts and then charge them $50 a week
in road tolls” said Brian Kelly, Labour Party candidate for Pakuranga.
Speaking on Television Ones Agenda programme yesterday, Pakuranga MP Maurice Williamson said given a choice, people
would gladly pay for road tolls of up to $50 a week, compared to queuing for free roads.
“Mr. Williamson has today (again), been censured by his own party for speaking out of turn. His views are not only
totally out of step with the community, they are out of step with his own party. Maybe this is what the National Party
is really planning” said Kelly.
On the Agenda programme he also spoke of the benefits of private sector management in state hospital and schools.
“This is a new definition of the term “state ownership”. After all, isn’t this why we pay taxes? This is privatization
by another name.
When Williamson speaks of exemptions to tolling certain roads if they are of “national importance”, I would like to know
which roads are NOT of national importance.
“The Labour Government has invested heavily in transport, education and health over the past nine years. The previous
National Government ignored infrastructure spending. To charge people more for roads is a scary thought” said Mr. Kelly.
ENDS