Brownlee Tells Us How Important The Gorge Is
Before Parliament adjourned last year I put a handful of questions to new Transport Minster Gerry Brownlee. They weren’t terribly challenging, just getting an idea of what information the Government had gathered on the Manawatu Gorge and what solutions they might be looking at.
It wouldn’t have taken much effort to pull together some standard answers. But apparently even that was too much effort for Gerry. This is what I got back:
Question: What is the expected total cost of work to re-open the Manawatu Gorge road?
Portfolio: Transport
Minister: Hon Gerry Brownlee
Date Lodged:21/12/2011
Answer Text: I am unable to provide a response at this time and undertake to provide the member with a final response at a later date
Attachment: None
Date Received:16/01/2012
__________
Question: What reports or briefings, if any, has he received estimating the cost of proposed options for improving road access between Palmerston North and Napier?
Portfolio: Transport
Minister: Hon Gerry Brownlee
Date Lodged:21/12/2011
Answer Text: I am unable to provide a response at this time and undertake to provide the member with a final response at a later date
Attachment: None
Date Received:16/01/2012
__________
Question: What options, if any, is he considering for improving road access between Palmerston North and Napier?
Portfolio: Transport
Minister: Hon Gerry Brownlee
Date Lodged:21/12/2011
Answer Text: I am unable to provide a response at this time and undertake to provide the member with a final response at a later date
Attachment: None
Date Received:16/01/2012
And so it went on for these questions too:
What is the total annual cost of work to clear slips and other causes of closure to the Manawatu Gorge road for each year since 1996?
What is the total cost to date of work to re-open the Manawatu Gorge road since August 18 2011?
What reports, if any, has he received regarding closure of the Manawatu Gorge road since August 18 2011? When does he expect the Manawatu Gorge road to be re-opened?
So while the closure of the Gorge is costing our region money and endangering our safety, the Government hasn’t even got the energy to answer a few simple questions. Obviously my faith in Gerry was misguided.
That’s a bit pat when, as a politician, you know that these answers are provided by Ministry Staff. Clearly those staff haven’t been back at work to answer the questions before the required deadline. Nice that you submitted them four days before xmas – probably knowing that most staff would be on leave and not able to provide the Minister with an answer.
There is a cut off date for getting questions in and extra time is given over the summer break to allow for leave etc. The Minister has responsibility for determining what is a priority and for answering the questions. He has staff to do the donkey work, but the responsibility lies with him. These were not hard questions to answer. Simply a matter of colating information that really already should be at hand if the Manawatu Gorge closure is being given any sort of priority in his office. Clearly it isn’t.
Most people will have gone on leave on the 23rd, and by the looks of the traffic heading into Wellington, only returned to work on the 16th. That team should have been able to answer at least one of the questions presented, especially the one about the estimate to fix, considering someone has already released an estimate of $10m
This may be no earthquake but this Gorge closure is hurting people and business. During the campaign the government said they would give some more attention to the Gorge.
Perhaps these questions could be followed up with oral questions when the House meets again.