National Caught Out Playing Underhanded Politics - Simple Simon   22 Aug 2014

The National Party has been caught playing underhanded politics in Tauranga, says New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“Earlier in August Mr Peters and the New Zealand First candidate Clayton Mitchell pledged to remove the Route K debt of $64 million and the Route K tolls, which were not working as planned because motorists were taking an alternative route.

“The local member of Parliament, the Hon Simon Bridges, said the plan was ‘stupid and dopey’.

“What has now transpired with the release of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council agenda for its next meeting on August 27 (agenda page 3) is deeply disturbing,” says Mr Peters.

It reveals the following:

1. The government being jolted out of doing nothing after almost six years.

2. Arranging for NZTA to pick up Route K as a State Highway and the $63 of debt ($1 million remains).

3. Tolls are to be kept on Route K. The agenda shows the government set to pass the matter in Cabinet and then get the Governor General’s signature. Worse still, and the agenda shows it on page three, all this to be done before the election

“Despite the government being in a caretaker role, they are pushing ahead with an agreement on the toll gantry equipment and then using this devious action as an argument against New Zealand First seeking to get rid of the debt and the tolls.

“In short, it exposes National’s inertia, then being pricked into action over the debt (18 per cent of Tauranga City Council total debt), and then trying to stop the one party that was bringing pressure to bear to fix this problem.

“The conventions of a caretaker government’s role are being flouted, and Mr Bridges has been exposed as “Simple Simon”.

ENDS

Attachment: Bay of Plenty Regional Council agenda, 27 August

Agenda_Bay_of_Plenty_Regional_Council.pdf

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