How NZ First betrayed provincial NZ
Shane Jones has been trying to say that NZ First got a win for provincial NZ because they got a temporary exemption for onshore oil and gas exploration. This ignores the fact that they chose to put in place a Labour/Green Government rather than a National Government (even though National won more seats than Labour and Greens combined).
In just the last month the Government that Winston personally chose has:
- Whacked regions with a 14 cent petrol tax to pay for urban public transport
- Cut spending on state highways in the provinces
- Canned provincial irrigation schemes
- Banned all future offshore oil and gas prospecting
None of this was in the coalition agreement they signed. None of this would have happened if they had chosen a National-led Government. They have betrayed all their provincial and rural voters, and I am sure there will be utu come the next election.
What exactly have they got for their voters? A slush fund which is helping fund a cathedral! That’s really what people in the provinces need.