Uncertain future for country's biggest rapid transit projects
National revealed it would "absolutely" kill Let's Get Wellington Moving and Auckland light rail while Chris Hipkins danced with reporters on the difference between government and party policy on both
Mōrena and welcome to The Bulletin for Tuesday, August 1, by Anna Rawhiti-Connell. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.
In today’s edition: Nurses and care workers agree to pay offer, panel recommends a 14.5% pay increase for secondary teachers; rare rebuke for government on mass arrivals bill; the ups and downs of Labour’s list; but first, a political fork in the road over roading costs and wobbles on getting Wellington moving
‘Sounds like they're still going to deliver on those big-ticket items’
Picking up where Catherine left off yesterday, National’s full transport policy was revealed in Hamilton yesterday where it was confirmed they would “absolutely” (but not positively) kill the region’s big transport plan, Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM). Wellington mayor Tory Whanau said National's plan would do nothing to grow the city. "We need to unlock investment in the city, not dampen it with a flaccid vision," she said. The chairperson of Greater Wellington Regional Council, Daran Ponter, said that while it might sound dramatic to say the party is going to get rid of the plan, “it sounds like they're still going to deliver on those big-ticket items the administration committed to six-and-a-half-years ago.”
Hipkins’ hat swapping
As The Post’s Andrea Vance reports this morning (paywalled), neither prime minister Chris Hipkins nor transport minister David Parker would commit to backing LGWM yesterday. The scheme is 60% central government funded. Hipkins said it was being reassessed as Labour developed its transport policy ahead of October’s election. Tellingly, Vance writes, “he did refer to it in the past tense – and said he was unhappy with progress.” Yesterday’s post-cabinet press conference descended into a round of Hipkins refusing to rule transport plans in or out as he finds himself increasingly swapping his prime ministerial hat for the “Hutt-issue headgear” of Labour leader. Newsroom’s Jo Moir writes that Hipkins is stuck in “limbo land”, both governing and being called on to answer questions about Labour’s election campaign, as other parties kick into campaign mode.
National confirms Auckland light rail to be scrapped
In the least surprising transport announcement of the campaign, National confirmed they would scrap the Auckland light rail project, favouring the building of seven new roads and public transport projects in the country’s largest city. When asked whether the government’s “close look” at transport policy included Auckland light rail yesterday, the prime minister said “the government’s been looking closely at light rail in Auckland for some time”, “government policy on that has not changed” and when asked if it was “Labour party policy to complete light rail to the airport in Auckland?”, he repeated that he was not “announcing Labour party policy for the next election today.” Government policy on transport is due in the form of the long-awaited government policy statement (GPS). As Newsroom’s Emma Hatton reports, the transport and infrastructure sector is getting increasingly frustrated by the delay. Parker has said it will be done by the end of this month. It was meant to be published in draft form for consultation earlier this year but then-transport minister Michael Wood was sent back to the drawing board.
Road costing spat, no climate impact assessement
As Stewart Sowman-Lund reports from Wellington, the National party’s $24b transport policy unlocked a spat over costings. Parker says National was using outdated costings that don’t take increased construction costs into account. National’s Simeon Brown issued a clarification yesterday evening saying that the party’s vision of a four-lane highway from Tauranga to Northland wouldn’t be achieved for another three terms, at least. As the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan details (paywalled), National’s leader Christopher Luxon could not answer a question about the cost of the second Mt Victoria Tunnel on Newstalk ZB yesterday. “For someone whose pitch is bringing C-suite rigour to the podgy lackadaisical world of government, the flub was deeply embarrassing,” he writes. Both parties came under fire from Coughlan who notes they've both ended up similarly committed to roads and that in 2020 Labour decided not to attach a cost to the Auckland light rail project in its manifesto. Coughlan also notes that it’s “iffy that Labour’s main attack on National comes from the fact it had silently engaged public servants to re-cost some of the policies itself for the draft GPS”. Addressing the issue of big road energy on the climate, Stuff’s Bridie Witton cites the University of Canterbury’s Bronwyn Hayward who says National’s plans came without a roadmap on how it would drive down carbon emissions.
Kiri Nathan on This is Kiwi
Celebrating extraordinary achievements by ordinary people, This is Kiwi explores the remarkable stories of incredible New Zealanders. In the fifth episode of this six part series, Jane Yee talks to Kiri Nathan, Māori fashion designer and entrepreneur. With a childhood spent sharing time between Scotland and Glen Innes, designer Kiri Nathan learnt a lot about the importance of building community. She joined the This is Kiwi podcast to talk about lessons from her childhood, the fashion industry and her passion for helping young designers.
Listen now wherever you get your podcasts (sponsored)
Nurses accept pay equity settlement, teachers get pay increase reocmmendation
As RNZ reports, nurses and healthcare assistants employed by Te Whatu Ora have voted to accept an historic pay equity settlement that will see some employees receive up to $28k in lump sums and backpay. It does not mean the threat of strike action by nurses next month has been averted, as they have yet to vote on the separate collective agreement offer from Te Whatu Ora.
An arbitration panel established to provide independent recommendations to settle the current dispute on secondary teachers’ remuneration and conditions says secondary teachers should get a 14.5% pay increase, costing close to $4.4b over time. It has also recommended a new body be established to improve relations between the Ministry of Education and Post Primary Teacher Association. Prime minister Chris Hipkins responded to questions about the pay increase recommendation yesterday saying they would be taking a few days to consider it.
Select committee issues rare cross-party rebuke to government
As Glenn McConnell reports for The Post, the foreign affairs select committee considering a government bill to allow for long-term detention of asylum seekers, in the event of a “mass arrival” via boat, has delivered a unanimous report telling parliament it cannot recommend that the bill become law. The Immigration (Mass Arrivals) Amendment Bill passed its first reading in March. At the time, Amnesty International pointed out the bill ran counter to recommendations from the United Nations and a 2021 report by Victoria Casey KC that had been accepted by Immigration NZ. Aliya Danzeisen, the national coordinator of the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand, described remarks made during the debate in the House at the time as “quite xenophobic”. Members of the committee include Labour’s Ibrahim Omer, Dan Rosewarne and Jenny Salesa, National’s Todd Muller and Gerry Brownlee and the Green party’s Golriz Ghahraman.
Youth Wings is back and Spinoff Members are invited
Join the next generation of Aotearoa politicians on the campaign trail, and watch them debate – a second series of Youth Wings is coming soon. Spinoff Members are also invited to the filming of the Youth Wings debate in Auckland. Contact us for more info. RSVPs close on August 16.
Not a member yet? Join up to gain access to exciting events like this, whilst also helping us bring you more of the content you love – it's a win/win!
Click and Collect
Government reaches deal to share buy-out cost of Hawke's Bay cyclone-damaged houses
Forget Bird of the Year, this year we’re looking for the Bird of The Century
Staff used ovens and dishwashers to keep a young seal safe after it ventured into a Bunnings Northland.
I know we’ve probably all moved on to following the latest news on unidentified flying objects but at least something that fell from the sky has finally been identified. A mysterious item found on a beach in Western Australia earlier this month is likely space junk from an Indian rocket.
Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz.
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Sporting Snippets
Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke has been ruled out of the remainder of World Cup with a knee injury. The team beat Wales last night.
The ratio of women’s sports stories in the media in 2022 in New Zealand was 28%, up from 2020 (15%) and 2021 (21%)
England win fifth test against Australia to draw Ashes series
