And the new Prime Minister is .....Chippie!

[nztx]

You can’t even count ��

Actually I counted including the period on holiday .. just to see if you were awake

[fungus pudding]

Actually I counted including the period on holiday .. just to see if you were awake

There's no fear of that judging from his posts.

[777]

There's no fear of that judging from his posts.

Yes he is performing as expected.

[Balance]

From political journalist Andrea Vance

“Like Ardern, he also likes to keep an iron grip on messaging and political communications, although is much more relaxed with reporters.

Despite promises this would be an open, transparent government, as state services and police minister, Hipkins has regularly rubbed up against the Official Information Act.

In October 2021, he alleged three women who travelled from Auckland to Northland, sparking an 11-day lockdown, had done so on false information. It was later revealed he knew officials’ mistakes were to blame but has not apologised to the women, nor corrected the record that they were gang-affiliated sex workers.

And it was Hipkins who first described the 1pm pandemic briefings as the “one source of truth”.

Then, there’s Charlotte Bellis.

Plenty more to come out of what the leg spreader is really like - a petty minded small thinker.

Hipkins is but a CHIP off the Old Ardern block.

[warthog]

From political journalist Andrea Vance

“Like Ardern, he also likes to keep an iron grip on messaging and political communications, although is much more relaxed with reporters.

Despite promises this would be an open, transparent government, as state services and police minister, Hipkins has regularly rubbed up against the Official Information Act.

In October 2021, he alleged three women who travelled from Auckland to Northland, sparking an 11-day lockdown, had done so on false information. It was later revealed he knew officials’ mistakes were to blame but has not apologised to the women, nor corrected the record that they were gang-affiliated sex workers.

And it was Hipkins who first described the 1pm pandemic briefings as the “one source of truth”.

Then, there’s Charlotte Bellis.

Plenty more to come out of what the leg spreader is really like - a petty minded small thinker.

Hipkins is but a CHIP off the Old Ardern block.

They are both sociopaths. Vance is a political stenographer hack.

[Paint it Black]

Most people whinge about the cost and the value for money but the reality is it’s not about getting to the airport at all, that’s just a happy coincidence. The line will predominantly run through an area of Auckland (Mt Roskill) which has no motorway access into the CBD, no rail access either, and a very congested road corridor that they simply can’t keep adding buses to. Light rail will give it a proper mass transit option and stop it grinding to a halt.

The cabinet endorsed Auckland Light Rail Option with its long tunnel from the Wynyard Quarter to Mt Roskill seems to be more of a heavy rail option than light rail. The published endorsed option comprises up to just six widely spaced stations between the University and Mt Roskill, involving accessing underground stations, and just one at the surface between Mt Roskill and Onehunga. Surely a function of light rail is to conveniently collect and offload passengers at street level so as to maximise patronage even for short distances. Much better is to complete the heavy rail loop between Onehunga and Manukau, via the airport to enable a direct baggage friendly link from Britomart and the south, and to fully surface run the light rail up Queen Street, Symonds St, Dominion Rd, and onwards to Onehunga. This could be done in stages to balance the cost between the heavy and light rail modes. Much excellent work has already been done on this route which would reinvigorate the CBD and integrate far better with Britomart, ferries and tourism when it returns.
It seems Labour’s pursuit of light rail to the airport, and its consequent need to minimise travel time with widely spaced stations, has sacrificed the benefit of passenger accessibility in both the CBD and suburbs. Auckland is a beautiful city which can be showcased even better with a modern surface system more enjoyable to use instead of burying it all the way to Mt Roskill from the Wynyard Quarter. At the moment millions of dollars of take payers money will be wasted on 'consultants' investigating the long tunnelled option which will never see the light of day!

[dobby41]

Agree so long as they ditch 3 Waters and the Light Rail to Airport.

It seems from a recent survey that 3 Waters is unpopular but Light Rail is popular.

[nztx]

Any number of looks out the window since Mahuta came stumbling in with 3 waters should have given
ample idea on how well that was regarded

The pile of other large carnage might have obscured the view .. who knows

[Paint it Black]

It seems from a recent survey that 3 Waters is unpopular but Light Rail is popular.

I'm also in favour of Light Rail but let's keep it on the surface servicing both the CBD and suburbs where it is most efficient, not trying to stretch it all the way to the airport. Imagine international travellers with their baggage trundling to and from the airport on a crowded tram. 'Light Rail' has been popularised as a vote winner by Labour especially Jacinda and the MP for Mt Roskill (Michael Wood). This is fine to service the rapidly populating suburbs they represent into the city, hospital and universities but please let it stop at Onehunga and then link it up with a heavy rail network to the airport.

[GTM 3442]

I'm also in favour of Light Rail but let's keep it on the surface servicing both the CBD and suburbs where it is most efficient, not trying to stretch it all the way to the airport. Imagine international travellers with their baggage trundling to and from the airport on a crowded tram. 'Light Rail' has been popularised as a vote winner by Labour especially Jacinda and the MP for Mt Roskill (Michael Wood). This is fine to service the rapidly populating suburbs they represent into the city, hospital and universities but please let it stop at Onehunga and then link it up with a heavy rail network to the airport.

This international traveller has nothing but praise for Edinburgh's airport-to-city tram. Brilliant!