Mike Hosking: Julie Anne Genter's zero road toll plan another non-delivery fiasco

Opinion

COMMENT:

Perhaps the most outlandish statement made these past three years came from Julie Anne Genter who stated that we were aiming for a zero road toll.

Nothing encapsulated the deluded theoretical view of the world more than a fanciful number that was never going to be achieved.

Of all the things this lot have promised, 100,000 KiwiBuild houses, light rail, rent relief, three billion on the PGF, a feebate on EVs - a zero road toll was in a league of its own.

Now we discover we aren't getting a zero road toll. The stuff they are supposed to be doing to make our roads safer is not being rolled out at anywhere near the rate they promised.

They promised $1.4 billion two years ago to save 160 deaths.

Where are they at? So far only $470 million down the track, a billion yet to be spent.

They promised 198km of median barriers. As of July last year they'd done 16km. As of now, 18km. So 2km in a year.

Side barriers? 150km out of 320. Lower speed limits? Only 35km of roads have new speed limits. They're a little better on the rumble strips. 3000km out of the 3500 promised.

So all in all, like so much of what they talk about, delivery once again is the issue. Promise big, get a headline, but then fail to deliver and hope no one notices.

It's debatable as to how much of this stuff, even if it was installed, would help save lives. But Genter's defence of this lack of action is consultation. She says there has been a lot of consultation. The irony being she's the one who wanted the consultation.

No one gum flaps like this government. Years for the Health Review to come back, we're still waiting for the sexual abuse review. No one sets up more committees, orders more reviews, and gabs more than this lot.

But surely it's a new low to blame your own approach for a non delivery of your own policy. Genter's having a tough time. Her feebate EV plan got bowled the other day, and now this.

As we approach the General Election, ask just what has been delivered, what was promised three years ago, and what do we have delivered?

This lot are going to be scrambling for answers, and few more so than Julie Anne Genter.