Winston Peters: Acting Prime Minister on his bid to establish Auckland Transport

Winston Peters has found a strong ally in his bid to disestablish Auckland Transport.  

The New Zealand First leader's proposed a bill to give the city's Council full control of the agency. 

AT currently operates somewhat independency.  

It already has the backing of Mayor Wayne Brown, who says anything putting control of Auckland’s transport back in Aucklanders' hands is a good thing. 

Peters told Mike Hosking that if common sense prevails, it will go hosing through Parliament. 

He said that AT was set up in 2009 and has been a serious failure, with massive complains continuing year after year. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We got a new plan to deal with Auckland Transport
New Zealand first has produced a members build that have
pulled and then passed. Will scrap them and return the
power to Auckland Council. Not surprisingly the Mayor Wayne Brown's
into it and you see them First Leader Winston Peter's
with us on this good morning to you, good mind,
you got any numbers worked out? If it gets pulled, you've.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Been voting numbers? Yeah, Well, of current sense prevails, it'll
go hosing through Parliament. Because this was set up in
two thousand and nine. It's been a serious as failure
and it's gone on year after year, massive complaints. The
whole city is if the advice and nothing's been done,
and we decided we need to do something about it
and do it now.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Was it set up incorrectly just to explain it to
the rest of the country because they seem apowering to themselves.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Certainly, you see it from the very beginning. It lacked
any democratic oversight and certain where you get issues about accountability,
court decision making and no transparency INWD cases between the
eight and the mayors. Has been a poet and as
a consultation with the communities they.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Felt like it, can you do anything about it? Or
can Wine Brown do anything about it? Or the council
do anything about it? If the bill doesn't get pulled,
in other word, consent to central would central government move
if they had to?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
What the reality is that the mayor can't do a
thing about other councilors can't do a thing about it,
then we need to change the wrongful establishment of this
critical infrastructure in central government. Well, we'll see you very
quickly when they have a look at this legislation exactly.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
All right, A couple of things while I've got you
for this Friday morning. Shane Jones and his attitude towards
the judiciary. Do you have an issue with his comments
or not? Really?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
The reality was she made a comment in a circumstance
where it was overheard, not intended for public consumption in
any way, shape or form, and that is unfortunate because
there is a separation of powers and there is a
respect between both organizations and both listens, whether Pepoli's government
or judiciary. So in the sense Shane has read very clear,

(02:09):
if I made a comment based on someone's background, of course,
which was a fact, if you had in your past
been a member of you know, the left reading socialist
or comunist organization. Then the question is not that person
should be surveyed now, but is it true or not?

(02:29):
In fact it's true, no doubt about that. He just
got longing overheard by someone who actually report that.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
What about the totalitarian thinking that he was talking about yesterday?
Does he need talking to or not?

Speaker 2 (02:41):
But if you're talking about the Treaty of White any tribunal,
didnyte any tribunal? It's not record, it's not the House
of Lords, and it's not an upper house. It is
not a supreme body in this country. There are the
concerns about that. And I'm not joining a Shange's comments
other than to say there is a serious anxiety about
the powers of the sign attack unto itself and sort

(03:06):
of what you might call a semi judicial make work
scheme receiving all sorts of applications and presiding over things
never commimated when it was established in ninety seventy five,
or its powers were expanded in Nearis by Jeffrey Palmer.

Speaker 1 (03:20):
So please so pleased to hear you say that, because
I've asked the Prime Minister about the several times, and
he's much kinder with them than you are. But explain
to me why, in a country with less than no
money we continue to fund an organization that has well
passed its use by a date. The historical grievances by
and larger been sorted, and they're in the business now
of pumping out almost daily urgent reports. What's the point of.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
That, wells a fair question is a serious political issue.
We're not going to resilve from that in terms of
challenging what's going on here that the original mandate descripted
by Parliament, agreed by cost, the political divide has long
since changed and many of us so I'm not happy

(04:00):
with what's going on. And we're saying so because in
the end we were sitting out back being to try
and trick the past, if that is possible, although it's
very difficult to do that. We're trying to trick what
could be fixed up and get on being one country.
As Finncooper said in nineteen seventy five, exactly.

Speaker 1 (04:17):
Your thoughts on the passing of the Mary King, as very.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Said that he's on the throne for eighty years. The
King ey Donn or King movement will be in the ragment,
and so will many who, as I say, not part
of the king a donna, but respect its establishment, will
be passing on there severe sincere condulences and as a
very sad now he was sixty nine years of age,

(04:40):
not a terribly old time to be in my eighty
years on the throne. And now there's going to be
the honey, so speak, a long process and then a
successor has to be appointed.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
Appreciate your time. You have a good week in Winston Pleaders,
New Zealand. First later from the Mic Asking Breakfast. Listen
live to News Talks at B from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio