Wow there’s so many bits of news I want to comment on today and I don’t have time for them all so as it kind of relates to my post this morning I’ll go with this one. In parliament today Green MP Julie Anne Genter asked Gerry Brownlee about his stance on emissions and transport. It was following this news story from TV3 where he said”
I think climate change is something that has happened always, so to simply come up and say it’s man-made is an interesting prospect
So here is the debate today
The transcript is here.
This was what I thought was the best bit.
Julie Anne Genter: Can he name one place in the world where carbon emissions have reduced or where peak congestion has reduced as a result of new motorway construction?
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: As far as I know, I would be correct in saying—because there are no motorways there—the Antarctic.
Brilliant question and one that left Gerry stumped because the reality is there isn’t anywhere that has built its way out of traffic congestion or emissions. Although perhaps Brownlee suggested it because in his mind hell would have to freeze over before he would accept that urban motorways don’t solve emission and congestion issues.
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I can’t even… he didn’t answer the question! Unless the answer was ‘no’ in a roundabout way. Why is he in charge of stuff again?
He never seems to answer the questions.
To be fair, he used to run our woodwork classes quite well.
Can people remind me how motorists subsidise public transport users, as Gerry mentions? Is he talking about buses on motorways?
Tax payers subsidize public transport users.
Tax payers subsidize private transport users.
Tax payers subsidize corporate transport users.
This greatest percentage of this subsidy is spent on private transport users (motorists), then corporate users ( freight companies), and then a very small remander to public transport users.
The statement that motorists subsidize public transport just shows how stupid brownlie is. Either stupid or a liar, I can’t decide.
Yes, I thought that fuel taxes mostly go on motorway build but as you say, Patrick, it is taxes and rates that pay for local roads and rail. But then Gerry will certainly know more about it, as he is the Minister of Transport.
Without wishing to get political, the Herald’s article earlier in the week on the wealth of various Government ministers enlightened me. I have nothing against wealth, I have aspirations myself, but a number of ministers have wealth in rural assets including farming land. It’s no wonder the idea of public transport or rail is alien to them. They’re sucessful rural people.
Absolutely, the are really just a country party fighting against the needs or the urban population, but dressed up as a fiscally conservative pro business party.
Money = power and influence, even if its bad for the greater community, hence this appalling motorway/s proposal. It was a revelation all right and it didn’t cover off the semi millionaires either or the multi-millionaires in the greater party membership. It answered a few questions as to why housing investors remain untouched and therefore why the housing market will remain the way it is either until the bubble bursts or they are voted out (no easy job by the way with the way the media and blog sites are largely in the back pocket and amendments to MMP are suppressed). Far too many vested interests for the few at stake here.
Euch, this is depressing to read.