Letter to the editor – Northland voters have been warned

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from: Frank Macskasy <fmacskasy@gmail.com>
to: Northern Advocate <editor@northernadvocate.co.nz>
date: Thu, Mar 19, 2015
subject: Letter to the editor

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The editor
Northern Advocate

.As National’s candidate struggles to gain traction in the Northland by-election, various government ministers would have us believe that the promised up-grade to  ten single-lane bridges; a suggested roll-out of fast-broadband in the North; and bringing forward the  Puhoi to Wellsford motorway are not bribes. 

On 10 March, our esteemed Prime Minister said he “unashamedly” wanted to win the by-election.

Northland voters should be wary of whatever promises Key makes.

He has a steady track record of fudging, back-flipping, and out-right breaking promises when he suits him politically.

Many of National’s recent promises have hundred-million dollar price tags, and will impact negatively on the government’s books. Bill English will not be pleased as he tries to balance government accounts back to surplus as well as find hundreds of millions for election bribes.

Remember that it was Finance Minister Bill English who firmly squashed any suggestion of tax-payers footing a $130 million subsidy toward the Skycity convention centre on 11 February when he said,

“There’s no contingency for that. If the less preferred option ended up being the option then that money would be part of the Budget process.”

Northlanders should brace themselves that if the National candidate wins, many of the promises will most likely be delayed, wound back, or dumped altogether for fiscal reasons.

Key’s track record on keeping promises is not reassuring. Voters have been warned.

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-Frank Macskasy

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[address and phone number supplied]

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References

Radio NZ: Government pulls out the stops for Northland

NZ Herald: John Key unapologetic about Northland byelection promises

Fairfax media: Government rolls out more ultrafast broadband

Interest.co.nz: Finance Minister prefers not to spend taxpayer cash to avoid Sky City ‘eyesore’; no money in Budget 2015 for it

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This blogpost was first published on The Daily Blog on 20 March 2015.

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