A FANTASTIC LIBERAL WIN IN AUSTRALIA

ScoMo (Prime Minister Scott Morison) won an outstanding victory on 18th May. The Australian Labor Party are shell-shocked, but they were totally out=played by ScoMo’s superb delivery of his strategy.

A Melbourne voter, to the Sydney Morning Herald, summed it up nicely, saying: “I’m young, I voted Liberal, and I’m not a bigot – So, to every Greens or Labor or other minor party supporter who feels saddened or disenfranchised by the Saturday election, these facts are for you. We who voted for the Coalition did not vote out of fear, nor naivety, bigotry or anger. Rather, we voted with our hearts for a party that will do the right thing on social issues, but which can also lead a country through a challenging time economically.”

This should be a wake-up call for Jacinda Ardern – promising envy taxes and unrealistic climate actions (her so-called “nuclear moments”) will ultimately burn your support base. Voters need confidence that you can manage the economy, because that is the only way that you can fund social and environmental change – not “fairy-dust”.

Bay of Plenty shafted again - Twyford has to go

Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced the Government's package for “Let's Get Wellington Moving.” Unfortunately for the Western Bay of Plenty, spending $6.4 billion on Wellington’s transport woes means, once again, we miss out. First it was Auckland’s suspect train developments, and next it is Wellington – Tauranga is the poor provincial cousin, and we just don’t count.

Minister Phil Twyford made the announcement within days of visiting Tauranga and the Western Bay. He might speak with a “slippery tongue” but when it comes to measurable outcomes, this Labour Minister is “missing in action.” I am sure he will blame others, but the reality is that the Western Bay is a stronghold for the National Party, and neither Labour nor Winston Peters gives a damn about us.

Minister Twyford worked as a journalist and union organiser before becoming the Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand. He is out of his depth with his current portfolios (Housing & Transport) but, to be fair, he has never had a “real” job, so what would we expect.

The Bay of Plenty will be neglected, as long as Labour is in power. Our Mayors and Regional Chair need to show more resolve, and refuse to open up any more land for subdivision, until we have the roading infrastructure that can sustain it. Within our city, Tauranga City Council should only consent high density residences – building up, not out – unless roading infrastructure is funded.

This city is in crisis, and this Labour/NZ First Government is just laughing at us. Let’s make sure that the damage is limited – bring on the 2020 election.

Driverless vehicles sees light rail advocates changing track

The world is poised to turn a corner with the advent of driverless vehicles and transport analysts are jumping on board. Trackless trams which run on virtual rail lines have been tested in China. Such autonomous technologies will revolutionise transport.

Political, legislative, regulatory and economic issues are going to be much more important than the technological issues, and the Governments of Singapore and the United Kingdom are very much on the front foot trying to plan for this.

Meanwhile our Labour/NZ First Government continues to push ahead with 20th century rail track technology, to solve Auckland’s transport woes. This is bad enough in its own right, but it is also sucking most of the funding necessary for provincial New Zealand’s transport programmes.

In the Bay of Plenty, congestion is increasing rapidly. We have outgrown our transport network, and improved safety measures and modal shifts to cycling just do not cut it. Labour is in total denial, and are being paralysed by its coalition partners. Something has to change for the Western Bay of Plenty, and soon – or else our city, and our economy will stall completely. I say = Wake up, Twyford. Wake up, Jacinda. Mooching around in Paris might make you feel good, but we need you at home, managing our economy. None of your Ministers seem to have a clue.