Friday, April 30, 2010

Parliamentary Select C'ttee fed rubbish by local MP on rail service - and regurtitates same!

Parliament's Transport & Industrial Relations Select Committee - chaired by Hamilton East Govt MP David Bennett has dismissed with no hearing an 11,500-strong petition supporting a Hamilton-Auckland rail service out of hand - after being fed untrue information about it, presumably by the Chair, as the only local MP on the Committee [Report below]

"The Transport and Industrial Relations Committee has considered Petition 2008/73 of Sue Moroney and 11,499 others, requesting that the House of Representatives ask the Government and related transport agencies to establish a passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland. The majority of us note that this service has recently been considered by the relevant local authorities and they decided not to establish such a service at this time, and therefore we have no matters to bring to the attention of the House.
The Labour and Green Party members support the petition of Sue Moroney and 11,499 others requesting that the House of Representatives ask the Government and related transport agencies to establish a passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland. We wanted to hear a submission from the petitioners so that we could consider their proposal. We also wanted to hear a response from the Ministry of Transport, so that the committee could assess the viability of such a service being established.


David Bennett was told in April this year (in front of about 50 witnesses) that not only did Hamilton City Council support the service, it had allocated significant funds as its share towards the establishment costs, AND that the Regional Council (Environment Waikato) had t he service specifically listed in its current Regional Land Transport Strategy. In addition, EW, HCC and the Waikato District Council have all yet to consider a number of submissions received (but not yet heard) in support of the rail service to Auckland.

A classic case of political porkies being told by an MP who plays fast and loose with the truth!

3 comments:

  1. The irony is that we have a local petition, signed by local people, about a local issue and a local MP quashes it. When Hamilton needed some leadership on this matter from our local MP, the man who holds a pivotal position on the select committee, he was found wanting. The ultimate Irony is that thousands of the signatures were gathered in Mr Bennetts Hamilton East electorate. I know that for a fact as I was there doing it.

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  2. I want the so-called constituent MP for Hamilton East and the ignoramus who is the chairperson for the Transport and Industrial Select Committee to clarify to the 11,500 signatories of the commuter train petition the following: "local authorities had already ruled it out."

    According to Paula Southgate on Community Focus last Saturday (1/05), EW have never ruled out the concept of a commuter rail between Auckland and Hamilton. Its been part of EW's discussions around their transport strategy since at least 2006.

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  3. Does MP David Bennett really represent the people of Hamilton East or just his self interests (Parlimentary salary and perks)? From what we have all witnessed David Bennett does not act for the people or the good of Hamilton East.

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