Following on from yesterday, Labour MP Phil Twyford once again had a go at transport minister Steven Joyce in parliament today over the government’s transport priorities and their seeming misalignment with the priorities of the Auckland Council. It’s an interesting watch:
You can read the transcript here. If you listen/read carefully, there’s potentially a mention of this blog (along with AKT perhaps) in one of Joyce’s answers – even though the numbers referred to clearly come from this document, rather than from any blog.
Processing...
Congratulations! First attack on you in Parliament 🙂
Seriously, you do a great job. It’s not surprising people are taking notice.
Good to see old slap head is taking time out of his busy road building schedule to read some of the views of the great unwashed. It’s nice to know he cares.
Ugh, every word that comes out of his mouth is just so slimy. He is truly repugnant.
I love how he equates supporting PT and this blog to be ‘left wing’. What’s partisan about wanting a transport system that works and provides choice? As it happens I personally lean a little to the left, but I don’t equate that with my support for PT. But then maybe Joyce thinks I’m a filthy communist that ought to be living on a lifestyle block like him.
He doesn’t even try and answer the 1,000 buses per hour in the CBD question. It would seem that “we’re looking at all transport options” is waffle that equates roughly to “screw urbanism or place making, what we’re want is a bigger, better traffic machine” in proper english.
Keep it up Josh, facts will prevail. The fact you got a mention in parliament shows you’re doing a top job (and unfortunately playing a lone hand) at keeping this dickhead honest.
“What’s partisan about wanting a transport system that works and provides choice”
This is exactly the point the minister should be addressing. 60 years of extensive road building in Auckland has clearly not worked as it was supposed to. It’s time to admit that and move on to new solutions. To label this a left versus right argument is silly. In fact the minister’s desire to build inefficient motorways when other options would work as well in itself indicates a centralised planning approach akin to socialist governments of the past. If, for example, a company with scare capital, tasked with the upgrade of the Puhoi to Warkworth road, had the choice between spending $300m on a 90% solution and $980m on the 100% solution will go with the 90% solution every time. Yet our ‘right wing’ government believes they can waste $600million gold plating the project.
“He doesn’t even try and answer the 1,000 buses per hour in the CBD question.”
Exactly. He know that attempting to answer it is going to make his BCT of 0.3 look a little dubious. The central connector was blocked this morning as you would imagine- buses as far as you could see- I realised though that I was looking at around 25 buses. 1000 buses per hour just won’t go into the city city.
The great UNelected one preaching to New Zealand again.
Good job Josh!!
Despite the unnecessary labelling by Joyce, this means he’s actually paying attention (or at least some of his minions are).