Labour imposes its PC agenda on roading

new-zealand-national-party

Wed May 28 2003 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Labour imposes its PC agenda on roading

Wednesday, 28 May 2003, 3:13 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

The National Party is questioning the $600,000 being spent by the Government commissioning research on Maori knowledge and values in roading.

"It's a classic case of PC madness," says National Party Transport spokesman Roger Sowry.

"Why should Maori 'knowledge and values in roading' be any more important than the values placed on roading by the rest of the travelling public.

"This is not about stopping another 'Taniwha' from holding up highway projects, the Government gave them that right in RMA legislation that demands consultation," Mr Sowry says.

"The National Party is also suspicious about how much difference the research will make, when we've obtained documents that show some Maori have three rules when responding to resource consent applications.

"They are, object, object and object again," says Mr Sowry.

"With that sort of approach to the established consultation process, what will the $600,000 taxpayer funded research achieve?

"That money would have been better spent improving roads.

"Local authorities throughout New Zealand already spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year consulting with Maori groups in their areas," he says.

"Despite that commitment to Maori consultation, many projects are still hamstrung by objections, often on mischievous grounds.

"The Government must put an end to its politically correct consultation agenda, which is more clear evidence of Labour's policy of division," says Mr Sowry.

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