23 May 2011

Labour plan to shelve 'holiday highway' criticised

3:09 pm on 23 May 2011

Northland's National Party candidate Mike Sabin says Labour's plan to shelve the so-called "holiday highway" shows the party does not care about the region's economic hopes.

Labour leader Phil Goff says the $1.6 billion Puhoi to Wellsford motorway extension will be deferred indefinitely if it wins the election on 26 November.

But Mr Sabin says the four-lane highway is badly needed to support Northland's biggest earners - tourism and agriculture.

Agriculture in the north would be further hit by Labour's plan to bring farmers into the emissions trading scheme early to fund research and development policies, he says.