It’s official, New Zealand: you really are led by donkeys.
Don’t take our word for it: this one comes straight from the ass’ mouth. That’s exactly how Minister for Transport and Minister for Auckland Michael Wood describes himself.
“If there was such a thing as a spirit animal then mine is a donkey”
Michael Wood
Wood uses the asinine sobriquet to describe his attitude to Auckland’s ludicrous light rail project. You know: the one that’s so far cost millions without a single shovel being turned in over five years, until this very week. The one that’s now blown out $30 billion for just 24km of track.
Yes, that thundering, blundering white elephant is “absolutely” going ahead.
I mean, it’s not as if there might be more pressing transport issues around the country, right now.
Michael Wood’s resolute commitment comes at a time when many state highways across the country are in dire need of repair in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.
“Dire need of repair”, in many cases meaning, “they no longer exist”. Still, I’m sure it’s an enormous morale-booster to communities in Napier and Hawkes Bay to know that, even as the gangs make off with their last generator and next week’s emergency food supplies, that Auckland’s inner-city climate botherers are going to get a shiny light rail. Who cares if even less people eventually use it than they do Te Huia.
Much of the North Island was still grappling with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, with communities cut off and state highways wiped out.
But Wood said the massive repair jobs around the country could go hand-in-hand with Auckland’s light rail network.
“Just this week we’ve invested an additional $250 million to make sure that we can get those roads fixed for people who need them in the regions.”
So, the government is spending just 60 times as much to build 24km of light rail in Auckland, as it’s spending on rebuilding the obliterated road and rail networks in Northland. $30bn for Auckland greenies, a quarter of a billion for wiped-out communities.
Then there’s obligatory obeisance before the altar of the Climate Cult.
“But if we just do that and don’t fix the hole in the roof – which is climate change – by giving people more climate-friendly choices, we’re only doing half the job.”
The real “hole in the roof” is the cataclysmic Tongan volcano that spewed oceans of water into the southern stratosphere. Oceans of water that, just months ago, meteorologists warned would come back to Earth in the Australasias. Maybe Wood plans to appease Tawhirimatea by throwing a few comely virgins into the lava?
North Shore Ward councillor Chris Darby said, despite Mayor Wayne Brown’s scepticism, there was widespread support for the project around the council table.
NZ Herald
Still, it’s nice of Auckland Council and the Labour government to let the country know just where they stand.
In a word: you’re rooted.
