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I get the feeling that Jacinda suddenly wants to be taken seriously. She has announced that there will be no wedding this year, thus presumably responding to the #Turnardern movement that said we want a prime minister who doesn’t spend all her time doing fluff pieces and photoshoots.
She was interviewed by Mike Hosking on Thursday, and, when talking about evacuating New Zealand citizens from China, she managed to sound coherent, almost as if she knew what she was talking about. And when she announced that the government is now going to borrow $12 billion to build infrastructure, including a number of roads, it was very noticeable that she left Phil Twyford, Minister of Transport, out of the presentation. This is going to be her election campaign; we are building the infrastructure the country needs after nine years of neglect.
There is no getting away from the fact, whether you like it or not, that these are National’s roads, and Simon Bridges has every right to point this out. They must be; if they are anywhere near ‘shovel ready’, they must have been drawn up by the National government, because this government has not drawn up any such projects. Not a single one. In the overall scheme of things, this probably doesn’t matter – the important thing is that the roads are to be built. But let us not be fooled into thinking that Labour has had anything to do with these projects up until now.
However, there are some concerns that these ‘shovel ready’ projects are to be modified to include ‘multi-modal’ forms of transport, including bus lanes, cycleways and possibly even walking tracks. There are two problems with this. Firstly, this will mean the projects are a long way from being ‘shovel ready’. I assume this will mean redrafting and reapplying for consents in most, if not all cases. This will cost considerably more in both time and money, meaning that few, if any, of these projects will be started this year.
But that’s okay. If asked during the election campaign, instead of blaming working groups or inquiries, Jacinda can point out that the roads are all undergoing reconsenting processes with local councils. That will suit her just fine.
Secondly, most of these roads are motorways. Why on earth would we want cycle tracks or walking tracks on motorways? Bus lanes… well, maybe, but we do not want cyclists anywhere near motorways.
So, you have to ask the question: will Labour ever actually build these roads? I have to admit, I really have my doubts.
First, of course, there is this.
Let’s face it, their record is not exactly glowing. On their performance to date, the chances of any of these projects ever being started are probably close to zero.
This is their election campaign, remember, so they have to look as if they are serious, otherwise they will get voted out. We already know how very good this government is at talking the talk but not walking the walk.
My big question is – where do the Greens sit on this? The party that refers to people who want to get to work on time as ‘car fascists’? The party with an MP who pretended to cycle to the hospital to give birth? The party with an MP who allegedly threatened to bring down the government if the second Mt Victoria Tunnel in Wellington was allowed to go ahead?
(I wish she had, but she knew Justin Lester would never let that happen, so she was on safe ground, and, as it turned out, he wasn’t.)
You have to remember that the Greens are completely blinded by ideology. They want New Zealand to produce 100% renewable electricity but will not allow any new dams to be built. For the sake of a handful of kayakers (not to mention a few snails), we will be importing more coal in the future. That makes no sense. They want everyone to buy electric cars but fail to see that even electric cars require roads. A good way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is to reduce congestion, and these roads will definitely help with that. The Greens simply do not think that way. The Greens hate roads. This will not sit well with them at all.
I think we can safely say that none of these roading projects will be started before the election, less than 8 months away now. If so, then the fate of these projects depends entirely on the outcome of the election.
If National wins, they will get built.
If the existing coalition wins, it’s exactly as it is now; they may get built, but only if NZ First is happy for them to go ahead. It is quite possible in that scenario that some, but not all, will be built, depending on which roads NZ First wants built. (We know which ones they will be.) But what if NZ First doesn’t get back into parliament, and we end up with a government consisting only of Labour and the Greens? What are the chances of these projects going ahead then?
I would say the chances of the roads being built in that scenario are zero.
While you all know I am no Winston Peters fan (and his claim that he is the only one who can put a handbrake on the Greens’ loopier ideas cuts no ice with me, seeing that he put them into power in the first place), NZ First has been a handbrake of sorts. Without them, there will be nothing stopping the lunatics from finally being let loose. And the first casualty will be the new roads.
There is very little chance of this government ever building these roads. If they get back in without NZ First, they will tell us that these projects were a casualty of coalition negotiations, and that will be that.
Unless the Greens can negotiate for a horse-and-cart lane on the Whangarei to Marsden Point Highway, the roads will not be built. But think about it. With 4 lanes for cars, a bus lane, a cycle lane and a walking track, we are talking 7 lane highways. Does anyone seriously think this is ever going to happen?
I don’t. How about you?
