Told you so
I just have to remind you that I told you so.
MP Sabin and the National government media machine duped you all with the pre-election promise of 90 per cent to come out of the government roading coffers to repair the local road storm damage. Yeah right! I can see the Tui brewery's marketing team working with this!
Pre-election, Focus NZ had it correct. Their collective experience at local government level, particularly time spent on the Regional Transport Committee, had them suggesting Northland and the Far North would get a fraction of the promised amount. I specifically said the Far North was more likely to get $4million to $5million but hoped for more, as the government roading budget had been set years before and the existing and future budgets are being poured into Roads of National Significance (RONS).
MP Sabin is now crying foul and expressing disappointment, but he has no excuses for his ignorance of not knowing how the budget works, and worse, showed complete disregard for the advice given to him by those that did know.
As far as where to from here, well all you ratepayer land owners in the productive sector, get out your chequebooks, as I predict in the Far North (ex National MP) Mayor Carter will drive through a targeted rate to fund the repair bill.
