National’s leader can’t state one specific policy for Christchurch or Canterbury, beyond a bridge and a road
You know an election’s tight when pledges flow from politicians.
Take 2017, when Jacinda Ardern announced a $300 million capital fund for Christchurch – more than the $120 million National promised for the city’s costly (and still not built) stadium, and on top of $100 million earmarked for a greater Christchurch transport system, including (the as yet unbuilt) commuter rail from Rolleston to the central city.
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Contrast that with today’s effort from election frontrunner Christopher Luxon.
The National Party leader, whose party is comfortably ahead in the polls, spoke to media at the RSA in Rangiora, a town of about 20,000 people about half an hour north of Christchurch, nested within the safe National seat of Waimakariri.
After visiting a dairy and a jeweller, the party announced its law and order manifesto – essentially re-hashing already announced policies.
Media pressed Luxon about his party raising the spectre of a second election (Asked if it was irresponsible, he said: “What we’re saying is there’s a lot of uncertainty with MMP”), and what he made of Act Party leader David Seymour’s threat to offer only confidence and not supply in a governing arrangement (Luxon: “It’s not going to happen”).
The National Party leader was in Christchurch this morning, and Rangiora this afternoon, a day before the city’s re-scheduled Press Leaders’ Debate.
The debate, at Christchurch’s Town Hall, was meant to be Luxon versus Labour leader Chris Hipkins, until the latter got Covid-19. It is now a debate between leaders of NZ First, the Greens, Act and Te Pāti Māori. Asked last week why he couldn’t reschedule, Luxon said he had another debate with Hipkins in Auckland at TVNZ, adding: “Lots of people will be watching.”
Today, in Rangiora’s RSA, Newsroom asked what the National Party was offering specifically to the people of Christchurch and Canterbury, other than roads.
It led to a 60-second, not-made-for-TV exchange.
Luxon: “Well, what we are going to offer them is lower inflation, lower interest rates, a better-run economy…”
Specifically, we interjected.
Luxon: “Well, that’s specific to the people of Canterbury – they care about those things.”
But so do the people of Otago, and Southland, and Nelson, and Marlborough.
Luxon: “We’re going to lower crime, with a good law and order policy.”
Just one thing for Christchurch and Canterbury, we asked again. Just one thing.
Luxon: “Upgrades to Queenstown and Southland, if you want to talk South Island.”
No, we said, asking for a u-turn back to the original question.
Luxon: “Talk about the upgrades to the Ashburton Bridge, talk about the great work that we’re going to do out here at the bypass up this way.”
Just one thing.
Luxon: “Those things. Bypass and better roads for Christchurch and Canterbury because that's what they want, because that actually will drive economic productivity and economic growth.”
To recap, when National’s leader was asked what his party was offering the people of Christchurch and Canterbury, other than roads, the list was: lower inflation, lower interest rates, a better-run economy, lower crime, infrastructure upgrades in Queenstown and Southland, a bridge upgrade (actually, it’s a second bridge over the Ashburton River, also agreed to by Labour), and a $270 million Belfast to Pegasus motorway, including a bypass at Woodend (announced in July).
A cynic would say National is so confident of winning the election – that it has judged the mood for a change of government is so strong – it can afford not to offer New Zealand’s second-largest city a single, specific policy, beyond two morsels of transport.
To be fair, the economic conditions are challenging, and neither big party is expected to announce big-bang policies this week.
What it does do, though, is leave room for smaller parties to fill the vacuum.
For example, The Opportunities Party, led by Ilam candidate Raf Manji, has a $1 billion investment package for Christchurch. Its website says: “The Christchurch Pitch is all about making sure our city gets the attention – and investment – it needs and deserves.”
With Saturday’s election looming, there seems room for other political parties to do just that.
