What has Len traded for the rail loop and did Key u-turn for SkyCity?

By
Martyn Bradbury
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10
0

images-2Who wouldn’t want to use public funds to build a transport loop that passes SkyCity’s new gambling abattoir/convention centre pokie Den?

Did SkyCity lean on Key to greenlight the loop for SkyCity to gain a stop across the road from them? More crony capitalism than civic vision?

If one is to be cynical about Key’s motives if SkyCity have anything to gain, then where do we start to question what Len has given away for the loop?

A Government as Machiavellian as this one wouldn’t hand Len a political victory as generous as this before the Mayoralty without gaining some considerable compromises from Len.

Key is already floating the sale of Auckland assets, Len says he won’t sell Airport shares, but what about other assets?

Will Len sacrifice the Ports? Would there be massive property speculation of the Harbour if the Port was moved?

In fact shouldn’t we be aware as to the powerful and secretive Committee For Auckland who back Len? Membership to the CFA is by invitation only and costs $10 000 a year in annual fees. Many of the same people who are members of this private lobby group also happen to be appointed to the ultra secretive Council Controlled Organisations. Brett O’Riley (Chief Executive Officer ATEED), Robert Domm (Chief Executive Officer Regional Facilities Auckland), Mark Ford (Chief Executive Officer Watercare), John Dalzell (Chief Executive Officer Waterfront Auckland) join Connal Townsend (National Director Property Council of NZ) and Evan Davies (Chief Executive Officer Todd Property Ltd) to give Len a vast corporate and property and asset infrastructural influence that could give Len all the levers to pull for asset sales.

The Devil may not just be the in the detail of this rail loop U-turn, the detail could be the Devil.

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10 COMMENTS

  1. It’s all lies and bullshit
    An under water rail system in a volcanic zone …. another Easter Island statue.
    By 2020 the main form of employment will be on the outskirts of cities – growing food.
    All our leaders are fuckwits and dreamers, but there again so are the voters.

    Happy happy joy joy

  2. And asset sales … if we where to use the money to make ‘us’ more self sufficient in say local food production, and education of the pig ignorant, then why not flick off the crap that is oil dependent, a port without bunker oil is just an ugly beach, and an airport without avgas is just a big skate board park, and a convention centre is just a good place to ‘process’ the ignorant masses (when/if they wake the fuck up)
    In 10 – 20 years time the children will wonder what this bunch of idiots were thinking, because clearly it wasn’t anything remotely connected to reality.
    I flush more brain cells down the toilet each morning than we have in our so called leaders.

    • Well, this particular … dreamer is thinking that anything you support has got to be wrong.

      But then, I’m just an ignorant mass.

      And the reason you flush brain cells down the toilet is that you have shit for brains.

  3. Key funding the rail loop is perfectly consistent with his government – in practice – being the most left-wing government in NZ’s history.

  4. Rail link/loop all sounds great! But the more I learn about this – the more the process behind it smells.
    Aotea (niiice rebranding) station at sky city sealed the deal for me – all a bit convenient.
    Hand shakes – secret meetings – pay for access to lobby groups only add to my sick gut feeling. As a people will we ever see through the bribes for votes? Len got sucked in and thinks he won something – calm down Len this win is as hollow as Te Ururoa Flavell’s gambling bill victory. You have been played, same as us.

  5. Among the response there has been no real acknowledgement of the great engineering feat. Not only a rail loop but the first one in the southern hempishere constructed with a u-turn!

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