“Let's Get Wellington Moving is the latest public sector project to become captured by co-governance and ACT will end the Treaty consulting industry that has grown under Labour,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“It’s no wonder projects like Let’s Get Wellington Moving cost so much and struggle to get anything done. It has spent more than $600,000 in three years just consulting with local iwi.
“Written parliamentary questions show that $643,000 was spent over three years on 'Tiriti-related consulting' activities. When so much money is spent just talking about doing something, it’s no wonder nothing ever gets done.
“LGWM has spent more time asking how the Treaty is relevant to Wellington motorists than it has actually building stuff. In that time, one unnecessary pedestrian crossing has been built.
“This is one of the many examples of co-governance-driven red tape that means nothing gets done and money gets wasted. The embedding of co-governance throughout the public sector means bureaucrats mindlessly implement it into every part of their work. The result is a lot of consultation, a lot of taxpayer money spent, and no progress for Kiwis.
“This is a hallmark of transport projects under the bloated bureaucracy Labour has created. Late last year Waka Kotahi was advertising for Treaty Partnership consultants for the Light Rail project in Auckland, with the consultants earning up to $183,000 to be based in Wellington.
“Only under Labour do people get highly-paid Treaty jobs based in Wellington, to talk to iwi in Auckland, for a railway that doesn’t exist.
“Consulting with iwi is part of the process with transport projects, particularly around land acquisition. But can anyone really explain why it costs so much and takes so long?
“ACT would direct the public service to get back to basics. That means consultation with all affected parties should be proportionate to how much they will be affected by the project.
“ACT will bring real change to the way Government does business, bringing it back to basics and ensuring government departments are focused on delivering outcomes for all New Zealanders, not wasting time padding co-governance consultants’ pockets.”