National spokesman for finance Paul Goldsmith takes aim at shovel ready projects

National spokesperson for Finance Paul Goldsmith spoke at National MP for Hamilton West Tim Macindoe's monthly forum. Photo / Tom Rowland

The National spokesman for Finance has taken shots at Labour's shovel-ready projects plans saying they should have been announced by now.

Paul Goldsmith was in Hamilton today as a guest speaker at National MP for Hamilton West Tim Macindoe's monthly forum, and spoke exclusively to the Waikato News about National's election campaign.

"Every day we hear about these shovel-ready projects and infrastructure, but it's one thing to announce it all but it is also another thing to deliver it, which Labour has failed to do," Goldsmith said.

Last week the Government announced it had approved more than 150 projects in principle - adding up to $2.6 billion - with further work required to confirm them.

The Waikato is to receive $150 million of that, but no specific projects have been announced in the region.

"The primary purpose of these shovel ready announcements is purely political. They have this big $20b slush fund, which they intend to use in a highly political fashion. [That] is a disgrace as we are losing jobs across the country and you would expect them to be clear of what they want to achieve as quickly as possible."

Goldsmith took aim at the Hamilton to Auckland rail network, which is to launch this year, saying it was the wrong approach.

"You could electrify the track to Pukekohe and have the mother of all park and rides in Tuakau where people could park after using the Waikato Expressway and then have a direct route via train into the city.

"That is the most useful thing that could had been done and it has been very frustrating on the fluffing around on those things that we all agreed would make sense while being distracted by this light rail project."

Goldsmith took aim at Labour's campaign slogan 'Let's keep moving' saying that it should rather be "Labour, it's the thought that counts".

"That seems to be their approach where they want to achieve something and then they announce it and then that is all they do."