Twyford bans NZTA from talking to local MPs
Stuff reports:
Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon claims he has been “shut out” of conversations with the NZ Transport Agency but Transport Minister Phil Twyford says Falloon is “playing politics”.
Falloon said previously organising meetings had been pretty informal and done via phone but he could understand, in some cases, why approval was required.
Falloon says he has been trying to arrange meetings with the agency regarding several issues – including upcoming roading projects in the Mid-South Canterbury area – but his requests have been declined. …
“Under the previous National Government, authorisation was needed when MPs wanted to visit sensitive and hazardous sites like research organisations undertaking chemical testing. Even then they were approved.
“This was a request for a meeting in an office, hardly anything that could be deemed hazardous. Instead I’ve been sent a letter outlining some points quite irrelevant to the issues I wanted to raise.”
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said Falloon was “playing politics”.
“He received a full update from the Transport Agency including on the feedback they received from the local community.
‘”No-one wants NZTA officials tied up in meetings when they have important work to get on with,” Twyford said.
So this Government, which pledged to be the most open and transparent ever, has banned NZTA from meeting local MPs over local roading issues.
Twyford arrogantly proclaims meeting a local MP is an unimportant meeting of no value.
Just another reason why a Government of equal measures incompetence and arrogance should go.