Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year.

“Instead of scoring two ferries for $551 million, Winston Peters has informed us he will progress with two smaller ferries but has no contract, or costs,” Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said.

“Ultimately this deal will include the ongoing costs associated with the cancellation of iRex, which continue to rise. Additional costs of $1.16 billion could have been avoided if Nicola Willis hadn’t botched the deal – including cancellation of the original deal and ongoing maintenance of the current ferries.

“Due in 2029, all we know is that the ferries are smaller than those Winston Peters was involved with negotiating in the first place. That must have been a hard pill to swallow for the Minister for Rail.

“Now we are shopping for smaller ferries, and a whole lot of cash has been sunk at the bottom of the Cook Strait. That’s all down to the Minister of Finance.

“All Winston Peters has announced today is that New Zealanders will be waiting another three years for ferries and still have no idea how much they’re going to cost.

“The ships still aren’t sailing but the money sure is. Nicola Willis has the opposite of the Midas touch,” Tangi Utikere said.

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