MP attacks own minister over transport spat

Pakuranga MP Maurice Williamson. Photo / Mark Mitchell, NZ Herald

Maurice Williamson has attacked his own minister over a transport spat he compared to a "nuclear explosion".

The Pakuranga MP told Transport Minister Simon Bridges his constituents were livid about setbacks to the AMETI (Auckland Manukau Transport Initiative) projects.

He said the New Zealand Transport Agency and Auckland Transport had a "dysfunctional" relationship where "one hand doesn't seem to know what the other is doing."

Mr Williamson blasted the agencies' relationship at a transport select committee hearing at Parliament today.

He said Auckland Transport chief executive David Warburton had displayed an "offensive" attitude to local boards.

He said a cancelled local flyover project had an impact like a "nuclear explosion" or "roman candle" on his electorate.

Mr Williamson said local politicians or boards were sometimes not consulted when changes to local transport projects were made.

The two National Party MPs could also not reach agreement on how the Auckland Transport board was composed.

Meanwhile, Auckland's Britomart transport hub will soon be so crowded, the station will have to "lock the public out during the evening, Labour MP Phil Goff said.

Mr Goff said Auckland was being forced to pay more than its fair share towards the City Rail Link.

Mr Goff said Auckland business leaders were disappointed with the Government.

Mr Bridges said he agreed with Mr Goff that Auckland's transport issues needed urgent resolution. But he said he "must be having different conversations" with the business community, because the Government was receiving positive feedback about its transport policies.

Mr Goff's colleague Phil Twyford asked Mr Bridges if a cut in funding the sealing of dirt roads would put people's lives at risk.

Mr Bridges said it would not.