John Key hates Auckland: Len Brown must stand up for the Super City

Tight-fisted Key deals blow to Brown's rail plan
The Prime Minister yesterday poured cold water on Super City Mayor-elect Len Brown's ambitious plans for rail, indicating the Government was closing its chequebook for extra projects.

John Key, who with Transport Minister Steven Joyce is prepared to spend an extra $1.6 billion on what has been dubbed the "holiday highway" from Puhoi to Wellsford, said ratepayers would have to pay for Mr Brown's plans to fast-track rail.

Key hates Auckland, he will not see the new political reality of the Super City. For too long Auckland has paid it's share of the tax yet received a mere slither in return for infrastructure. Time and time and time again Wellington has dictated the terms of Aucklands needs and the Super City is the first time Auckland has REAL political muscle to force Wellington and John Key to give us that tax to rebuild the decades of infrastructure underfunding, and Len should push on with more demands.

Social welfare infrastructure should start being funded by the State with more pensioner housing and more welfare co-ordinated by Auckland for Aucklanders. Auckland as the biggest urban center in the country has unique poverty issues and the new Super City should have more say in how that social welfare infrastructure should be spent, just as National are doing with Whanau Ora.

The Super City is a chance to redefine the relationship between Wellington and Auckland, for too long Auckland has not been given its due and it's infrastructure has suffered, too many Aucklanders have waited long enough in too many traffic jams for John Key to deny us now.

Don't let Wellington win Len!