17 Jun 2020

'Clear as daylight' light rail won't get sign off before election - Winston Peters

From Morning Report, 6:19 am on 17 June 2020

The New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says it is "clear as daylight" Auckland light rail won't get Cabinet sign off before the election.

Jacinda Ardern promised light rail would be built from downtown Auckland to the airport within a decade in her first policy announcement as Labour leader ahead of the 2017 general election.

The project is also set out in the confidence and supply agreement between Labour and the Greens.

RNZ last week revealed the project was deadlocked due to coalition partner New Zealand First's objections, namely the project's cost and scale, as well as the potential involvement of Canadian institutional investors.

Peters told political editor Jane Patterson the first thing to look at was the costings.