Coastal shipping strategy bereft of detail
David Bennett
National Party Associate Transport
Spokesman
6 November 2007
Coastal shipping strategy bereft of detail
The Government's draft coastal shipping strategy, 'Sea Change' is disappointing in its lack of detail, says National's Associate Transport spokesman, David Bennett.
"The strategy 'involves providing targeted funding to 'kick-start' proposals which are sustainable and have economic benefits'.
"But Transport Minister Annette King has failed to quantify the funding."
Mr Bennett adds that in a cruel twist of fate for Labour, the strategy notes that funding may in fact come from public-private partnerships.
"It's hugely ironic that a Government that refuses to support PPPs in the transport sector, despite introducing enabling legislation, is recommending that very funding method for the maritime sector.
"Any solutions Labour ends up providing will undoubtedly be ideologically based, rendering them unworkable.
"The market-led movement to greater private sector involvement in the coastal shipping industry will be hamstrung by this busy-body Labour Government."
ENDS