National obsessed with Auckland: Peters

NZ First leader Winston Peters says the National Government is obsessed with Auckland. Photo / Northern Advocate photograph by Peter de Graaf

NZ First leader Winston Peters says regional New Zealand will have to 'electorally terrorise" the Government to ensure they are not neglected in favour of Aucklanders as he seeks to replicate his successful Northland byelection campaign more widely.

Speaking at the Local Government NZ rural and provincial mayoral forum yesterday, Mr Peters said Auckland was "a bottomless, money gobbling pit where housing prices and reality continue in separate directions."

He said the National Government was obsessed with Auckland and needed "some sharp reminders that is life outside Auckland."

"Auckland sits at the top of the hierarchy, creaming what resources there are while the regions are left to scramble for the leftovers."

He said when the Government's thin majority was threatened in the Northland byelection it had made numerous promises to try to hold Northland.

"This government is not going to react in favour of the provinces and against their elitist big city mates unless they feel electorally terrorised."

"You are not going to get a chance in the meddling influence of outsiders unless you collectively band together and set out to defend your interests."

Mr Peters has also defended his lack of action trying to secure promised SuperGold Card ferry concessions for Northlanders after the Herald reported he was yet to approach Government ministers, the ferry operators in Northland or local authorities about Northland entitlements, despite his promise on the byelection campaign to deliver free ferry rides between Paihia and Russell and at Rawene.

Mr Peters said a moratorium on new transport operators meant his hands were tied.

The moratorium was put in place in 2010 after a blowout in costs and in 2013 the Government began a review of the scheme.

Mr Peters said he had lobbied the Government about that saying the review was due in June last year but had already been delayed by a year.

Mr Peters provided the Herald with a press release in February and an email his office sent to Senior Citizens' Minister Maggie Barry last week.

Those items contained no reference to the Bay of Islands or other Northland-based ferry services and instead advocated for the new Explore ferry to Waiheke to get a share of the $1.6 million which its rival Fullers benefited from under the scheme.

When he made his promise to those at a public meeting in Paihia, Mr Peters said it was unfair that Aucklanders benefited from free ferry rides to Waiheke while they missed out.

Ms Barry said in Parliament this week that the review was "not very far awy now" and had taken so long so it would be thorough.

A spokeswoman for Craig Foss, the minister responsible for the SuperGold Card, said there had been no further developments.