To all Wairarapa candidates:
1. Do you support the three local councils amalgamating?
2. Do you think a road tunnel to replace the Hill road would improve the Wairarapa's economic performance?
3. What will you be advocating to lift economic performance in the Wairarapa?
Steve
Candidate Answers
Candidate
Answer
1. Yes, if it saves ratepayers money and limits the capacity of government to interpose itself into people's lives.
2. It may - Libertarianz would allow private contractors to dig a tunnel and toll the tunnel road until it's paid for. Ratepayers and taxpayers should not be forced to fund it directly.
3. By deregulation of laws that supporess business and industry: get rid of GST, the Emissions Trading Scheme, the Resource Management Act and the minimum wage.
1. There is already a good deal of task and resource sharing between the three Wairarapa councils, but a general feeling (not yet tested publicly) against a 'Wellington Super Council'. I certainly wouldn't recommend it if the communities are strongly opposed to it. There are some fears of losing the individual cultures of the communities if they are amalgamated.
2. I think better train (freight and passenger) access and performance would improve the Wairarapa's economic performance! Throwing money at more roads, especially a massively expensive road tunnel, would be money down the drain as oil prices will cripple us in the next 20-50 years and shift access away from roading.
3. Clean tech development including renewable energy projects and technology centres. An increase to the home insulation scheme leading to more jobs and warmer, healthier homes. Training incentives allowance and apprenticeship schemes offset by a fair Capital Gains Tax. A reasonable commercial irrigation charge that will be put back into helping farmers to plant riparian strips and fence off stock from rivers. A (paid) conservation corps for unemployed youth to get them meaningful work and training doing things like controlling wilding pines, riparian planting and pest trapping.