Subscribe to RSSAirport Rail? Be Sensible!
Transport minister Steven Joyce warned today about thinking about any more Auckland rail projects coming through.
Amid a predictable answer in parliament, the minister gave this cautionary note:
“I must caution that there remains further work to ensure that this (Auckland) network is financially sustainable in terms of fare revenues and subsidies from ratepayers and NZTA.
“This is very important before any new projects to further extend the network can be sensibly considered.”
He is referring to the work he has ordered on local bodies ensuring that users pay more for public transport than the present subsidies.
Auckland’s review seems to have got caught up in the changes to local body reforms so we may not hear about what fare increases we have to pay for a while.
Rail ones would likely happen at the same time as the next timetable improvements in February or March of next year.
Anyway back to parliament this afternoon.
One of the worst features of parliament is the practice of party backbench MPs asking one of their Cabinet Ministers a patsy question so the Minister can boast about the wonderful progress being made in some area.
This afternoon it was the turn of the Maungakiekie MP Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga to ask transport minister the earth shattering question: What progress has been made on developing the commuter rail network in Auckland?
As the MP was present at the Onehunga line opening on Saturday, he must have had had his eyes closed during the entire ceremony!
Here is what happened?
17 Comments
Is Peseta a one term MP? He’s done nothing for his electorate so far. He even looked bored out of his mind at the Onehunga railway re-opening, while thousands enjoyed it.
Is National a one term Government?
Quite likely!
And now that they have made Auckland a huge force in NZ politics they may find it difficult to stay in power if they continue to treat Auckland as the “poor cousin”.
National had (might still have) the potential of making this country great, but I believe that certain ministers might have too much power and he’s undoing the good that the others have done.
Then again with politics you never know, they might pull a rabbit out of a hat or even a train out of a tunnel. We are going into election year so anything is possible, especially if National is behind in the polls.
I just want to know the numbers with this. If building a link from Puhunui to the airport is cheap enough then maybe Auckland can do it alone and wait for a more favourable minister. This would at least give Auckland Airport some certainty and allow them to build their new terminal with a station inside it.
Let’s be honest we will have these guys for at least another term. Labour are miles behind in the polls, they have barely budged since the 2008 election and the PM remains extremly popular (i dont get the appeal myself but there it is). This is what we are dealing with,if we can get any action on the CBD loop in the next decade we will be doing very well. My guess is there will be no further rail expansion while the Nats are in govt.
Cam I think you might be right, about no movement on rail from the Nats, I also agree that Labour is FAR behind, but you need a majority to become government. So if you put Labour, Greens, Maori, NZ First together, I do not think that the Nats will be there.
Personally I do not think that the government will work with all the different parties, but that is MMP for you - OOPS way off topic here
As I said election year will be interesting too see what the different parties promise.
James - there is one big problem with that. Building from Puhunui will only give us one new station at the airport and then the government would just say, well you have your airport station so go away. Building from Onehunga would be a bit more but would give a probably 3-4 additional stations which would also generate patronage
I also agree with those that say National will get in again next year unless they have a massive implosion and the opposition gets a personality transplant. The only way this government will support further rail expansion is if they see a political advantage to it.
Does anyone else find this “be careful not to expect too many big projects” language patronising? If candidates are going to promise these things they should be challenged on the cost directly. Don’t chide the voters expecting us to decide on the cost on their behalf. The reason he and others do it is to give the image that anyone other than a national-leaning mayoral candidate is “out-of-touch” (that seems to be a popular buzz-word recently) and likely to waste our rates.
Cam - I think you’ll find Keys popularity comes from respect, he came from a struggling family with nothing, to being a successful business leader. Not to mention he donates all his money he earns from parliament to charity. I find it hard not to see the appeal, he is in government because he truly wants to make a difference, however everyone has a different opinion of how to make NZ great.
With National in power there is still the chance of rail expansion, Joyce may talk down about rail, but when the pressure is on, and it becomes a election issue…
Chris R - I dont know how National would get voted out by treating Auckland like poor cousins as per your description, as it was National who have increased Auckland based transport funding, although still not enough, much better than under the labour equivalent.
“successful business leader”? You misspelled “financial parasite whose job was to wreck the economies of emerging nations for fun”. Hope this helps.
@Matt L I am aware of that. I was suggesting that the project could be cheap enough to be funded without the government. Without numbers though we just don’t know.
I think I managed to get Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga(Was he there?), or someone that looks similar to him, smiling in this pic, back turned on Steven Joyce - Steven Joyce looks like he’s thinking about - well something…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46769458@N08/5006802693/
I looked at the programme and saw how long the speeches were going to last and fled!
Doloras - .
“Not to mention he donates all his money he earns from parliament to charity” - Have to pull this up. That’s not actually correct, what John Key said before the election was that he would give a “good amount” of his salary to charity (as many politicians do). He didn’t say how much and frankly that’s his business. I’ll think you’ll find that the appeal to many people is that they think he’s an affable and laid back guy who they see as being a real centerist who wont do anything drastic. Some also think that because he was successful as a currency trader he’ll have a good handle on economic matters He may be in politics because he genuinly wants to make a difference, i don’t know, only he truly knows that. I would say though be careful not to have too much faith in any politicians no matter how much integrity you may think they have they will always let you down in my experience. John Key has reinvented himself since 2005 and has in some cases done a complete about turn on many issues which to me marks him as not much different from any other polititician.
“With National in power there is still the chance of rail expansion, Joyce may talk down about rail, but when the pressure is on, and it becomes a election issue” Problem is there are not enough votes in it at the moment and they know it. I would bet just about everything i own they wont spend a dime expaninding Auckland commuter rail. For a start with all the money pledged to RONS over the next decade the funding is just not there. Plus Joyce and Williamson before him during the 08 election campaign have made it clear they think it’s a waste of money.
To make matters worse - it appears the National party research unit can’t even come up with a different question from yesterday.
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
Thursday, 23 September 2010
“Dr CAM CALDER to the Minister of Transport: What further progress is being made on developing the commuter rail network in Auckland?”
Doloras: “successful business leader”? You misspelled “financial parasite whose job was to wreck the economies of emerging nations for fun”. Hope this helps.”
Well said Dolorus. Its worth noting that its not just the left that regard the currency trade as essentially parasitic in nature - many of our exporters would benefit from a more stable currency. Elsewhere in the world, the financial sector of which Key emerged is not regarded very highly in the wake of the global financial crisis.
I think I managed to get Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga(Was he there?), or someone that looks similar to him, smiling in this pic, back turned on Steven Joyce – Steven Joyce looks like he’s thinking about – well something…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46769458@N08/5006802693/
I looked at the programme and saw how long the speeches were going to last and fled!
“it was National who have increased Auckland based transport funding, although still not enough, much better than under the labour equivalent.”
umm, what? Seriously? Labour were the ones who ring-fenced roading taxes into transport funding rather than sending them into the Consolidated Fund (the general slush pool from which most Government spending comes), and the ones who allowed ARTA’s Auckland regional fuel tax. Labour also funded the Onehunga and Manukau rail work.
What’ve National funded? They pulled the regional fuel tax and put nothing in to take its place, and now they’re bleating about how there’s no money for public transport projects; because it’s all being thrown at Roads of Significance to National.
If you want to support National because you think they’re doing a good job, fine, but at least support them based on solid evidence. Joyce hasn’t committed a single cent to public transport in Auckland that wasn’t already committed to a project that started under Labour. Not a penny.