The minister resisted the requirement to wear the vest during a site visit and test train ride. Video / Michael Craig
Rail Minister Winston Peters got upset today at the first passenger train ride on the City Rail Link after being asked to wear high-vis gear.
The NZ First leader asked, “Why do we need that?” when presented with an orange high-vis jacket by City Rail Link Ltd chief executive PatrickBrockie.
“This is not a safety zone area,” said Peters, one of 70 guests at the “Test Train Experience” attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Cabinet ministers, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and VIPs, all of whom donned the safety gear of a high-vis jacket, hard hat and glasses.
“No, mate. I’m going on a train ride. I’m not putting on stuff I don’t need,” Peters said.
“It’s simply if we have an incident in the tunnel or something like that, minister,” Brockie told him.
Peters continued to argue against the need for wearing high-vis gear. Brockie said it was for visibility and part of health and safety protocols.
City Rail Link Ltd chief executive Patrick Brockie (left) and Rail Minister Winston Peters argued over the need for high-vis gear. Photo / Michael Craig
Peters eventually was seen putting on a high-vis jacket and later posted a photo in it on the train ride from the Maungawhau Station (Mt Eden) to the Waitematā Station (Britomart), 3.4km away.
After the event, Peters said, “some of us have lived our lives in high visibility”.
“Safety is critically important but turning it into a costume period drama risks undermining it, so we asked for an explanation and got one.
“It was confirmed that hard hats and safety glasses were not required given we were visiting an open station and sitting on a passenger train where physical work had been paused and separation barriers put in place.
“Our thanks go to the hard-working men and women who are delivering this project,” he said.
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