27 Oct 2008

National talks up infrastructure spending

4:50 pm on 27 October 2008

The National Party says it would make $8.6 billion available for new infrastructure projects over the next six years.

Its leader John Key also says reform of the Resource Management Act will also help to boost New Zealand's productivity.

He says National's infrastructure budget outstrips that of the Labour Party, which has budgeted $500 million of new capital spending next year, $750m the year after, and $900m in subsequent years.

And Mr Key says the potential influence of the Greens in a Labour-led government, would put the brakes on spending where it is needed, particularly when it comes to building new roads.

"A Labour-Greens government will not be able to build infrastructure at the same rate that a National-led government could, partly because it won't have the committed resources without increasing its debt profile considerable, but also because it simply won't have the commitment from the Greens, who do not want to build more roads."