Subscribe to RSSLabour MP Opens Can of Worms
Labour MP for Rimutaka, Hutt Valley local Chris Hipkins has opened a can of worms by writing a blog post today, saying that Wellington trains should have been updated over the past decade.
But hang on: Wasn’t that when Labour was in power?
Writing on Labour’s blog about the sorry breakdowns that have been plaguing the capital’s commuter service lately, he writes:
“The problems that have plagued our local trains over recent months are largely due to the huge backlog of maintenance and upgrading that’s now being done. Had it been done over the past decade and a half we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in now.”
Then he points the finger at National:
“Like a lot of Wellingtonians, I’m disappointed the new National-led government seem to have so little faith in rail. From the outside looking in it seems as though they want it to fail so that they can carve it up, sell it off, or close it down.”
One ‘right winger’ comments: “Labour had nine years to do something, then decided it could be done in 5 months but nothing really got done did it?”
Another puts forward the argument that as the rail company was in private hands, that company ran it down, without the government being able to do anything.
But the government took a long time to make the call to buy it back and the political jury is still out as to whether that was an economically sensible decision.
There’s probably no real benefit at this point in pointing fingers but, while Labour did buy back the trains, their record of action was patchy and it’s interesting to have confirmation recently that finance minister Michael Cullen was a sticking point for some of the action Auckland needed, such as the New Lynn transport hub.
If Labour had walked their talk and especially followed Greens’ advice and acted quicker on all things rail, we would have much more progress in both Auckland and Wellington and none of the stress of the last year, wondering if National would continue delivering on what Labour had just started.
The Greens kept pleading for action on Auckland’s rail and nothing ever happened. The finally there was action accompanied by the half-hearted Auckand petrol tax funding idea that was bound to fail because it would just anger voters.
At the moment, Labour seems to be playing a lot of blame game, pointing the finger at National when they had years in power to do some of the things that they say need to be done.
BTW, one of the comments puts an interesting figure on election contributions from the road lobby claiming: “It’s hardly a surprise that National are so anti-rail after they took $55,000 in election “contributions” from the trucking lobby group the Road Transport Forum.” He cynically suggests the pro-rail campaigners should do the same.
6 Comments
I heard a lot of problems with the Newmarket junction could have been avoided if parts of the railway land hadn’t been sold to developers under Labour.
Successive governments, both Labour and National are to blame for the state of our rail Labour only woke up and started putting some money into rail very late in the peice. For most of the last 9 years they were just as bad as National.
To be fair Labour did start putting things right nationally first by buying the Auckland track network in their first term allowing the ARC to have control over Auckland Suburban trains and then buying the national track network when Tranzrail almost went bust establishing Ontrack which began back capturing the maintenance of the track network.
And then through to the double tracking of the Western line in their second term and by committing to electric rail and self funding toward the end of their third term.
Sure it wasnt done quick enough but privatisation almost destroyed the system anyway. Most of the rolling stock had been sold off and leased back early on in private hands and throughout private ownership the track network and rolling stock suffered from an appalling lack of maintenance.
I agree though with the comment that it appears the National Goverment are willing Kiwirail to fail.
Kurt, if Labour had got their act together and not been so wishy-washy
The poles and wires would now be up in Auckland and we`d have EMUs for the Rugby World Cup. Labour started Dart with double-tracking etc and they deserve some kudos for putting some investment finally into the Auckland Rail system but on the most important area of all, electrification, they ultimately failed Auckland and it is sad for them that there is a good likelihood that National will take all the kudos of seeing electrification to its completion in Auckland.
Kurt, if Labour had got their act together and not been so wishy-washy
The poles and wires would now be up in Auckland and we`d have EMUs for the Rugby World Cup. Labour started Dart with double-tracking etc and they deserve some kudos for putting some investment finally into the Auckland Rail system but on the most important
area of all, electrification, they ultimately failed Auckland and it is sad for them that there is a good likelihood that National will take all the kudos of seeing electrification to its completion in Auckland.
Your average Joe Bloggs doesn`t remember who started something, just the party who brought it to concrete fruition in front of their eyes.
Another report of labour speaking and not acting? I think their main problem is they just take too long and waste to much taxpayers money achieving nothing. Where at least National are achieving things, it’s just there priority list when it comes to transport is a bit wonkey.