Back in 2020, the then-Labour government signed contracted for the construction and purchase of two new rail-enabled Cook Strait ferries, to be operational from 2026. But when National took power in 2023, they cancelled them in a desperate effort to make the books look good for a year. And now today, after first announcing that the market would sort it out, then that they would build two smaller, non-rail ferries, they've finally announced their new plan: to build two new ferries, slightly smaller than the ones they cancelled, including rail tracks. Who's building them? They haven't decided. How much will they cost? They haven't decided that either. About all we do know is that they will be delivered in 2029 - three years later than the original ones. Assuming everything goes to plan and ACT doesn't veto the whole thing, of course. And assuming the Aratere lasts until then, when Kiwirail is saying it won't.
So, we've spent $300 million (and potentially much, much more) to make the government's books look good for a year or two, and get less, later. Great economic management! Excellent use of public funds!
I think its fair to say at the moment that the government doesn't so much have a plan, as the concept of a plan, and that these are basically ghost ships. And we all know what they say about those...
