John Key (R) went out of his way to avoid running into Winston Peters on the campaign trail in Tauranga today.
John Key (R) went out of his way to avoid running into Winston Peters on the campaign trail in Tauranga today.
KEY POINTS:
National leader John Key has today switched a public appearance in Tauranga to avoid meeting NZ First leader Winston Peters.
Key was due in the Tauranga suburb of Greerton for a walkabout at 11.30am but made a last-minute change to his plans after discovering Mr Peters planned anambush.
Peters had been in a different Tauranga mall but traveled out to Greerton once he got wind of Mr Key's plans.
A spokesman for Key confirmed the leader's last minute change was to avoid offering Peters the chance of a cheap photo opportunity.
"John is here to talk to the people, not Winston Peters."
Key instead went to The Strand in central Tauranga, forcing his supporters and Diplomatic Protection Services to switch their plans too. A group of Nat supporters in the Greerton Mall were left wondering what had happened to their leader.
Key only spent a short time in central Tauranga before moving on to Rotorua.
The National leader today promised to fast-track an upgrade of Tauranga's "central corridor" road.
Speaking to a business audience in the Bay of Plenty city, he said a National-led government would put $100 million into fast-tracking the corridor, turning it into a four-lane State Highway.
He said problems with congestion were not confined to Auckland and the move would free up traffic in Tauranga.
The corridor is the second major roading project Key has promised during the election campaign, with its funding set to come from National's previously outlined $3.7 billion infrastructure borrowing programme.
Last month Key promised to fast-track the remaining parts of the "Waikato Expressway" - part of State Highway 1 linking Hamilton and Auckland - at a cost of an extra $790m over 10 years.
