Why do people in the rest of New Zealand hate Aucklanders? Maybe we should ask Phil Goff:
Auckland's transport infrastructure funding nightmare will long-term eclipse even the costs of the Kaikoura earthquake, the city's mayor said.
During a Stuff.co.nz live chat on Wednesday, Phil Goff said Auckland shouldn't take a back seat on Government spending despite Kaikoura's 7.8 quake which has caused devastating damage including closing State Highway 1.
[...]
But Goff cited figures to argue Auckland's case, saying the city loses up to $3 billion per year in lost productivity from underdeveloped transport infrastructure.
"That's more in congestion in one year than the entire Kaikoura [earthquake] cost. Can we afford to say 'no, we're looking at somewhere else now ignoring Auckland?'"
In other words, the convenience of Aucklanders during their morning commute trumps the basic needs of people elsewhere in the country.
You can argue that trucking stuff from Auckland to Christchurch via the Picton Ferry isn't the greatest of ideas. But we're talking here about the basics: sewage, power, internet and road connectivity. And given the choice between that or saving rich pricks on the North Shore thirty seconds on their daily commute, the choice should be obvious to anyone with any sense of proportion.
(Sounds like time for another round of "Fuck Phil Goff"...)
