Source: Radio New Zealand
Chris Bishop. Supplied
Senior minister Chris Bishop is rejecting criticism over a funding decision shifting Kāinga Ora money to a walking and cycling bridge in his electorate that he campaigned on, which the government cancelled.
Bishop – the minister for housing and transport, and Hutt South MP – agreed in March this year to Lower Hutt City Council’s request to reallocate funds earmarked for stormwater upgrades for the CityLink Bridge, a project he campaigned on.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins criticised the move, saying it did not pass the “sniff test” and was a “questionable and unaccountable” shifting of money.
The bridge between Melling Railway Station and Lower Hutt city centre was part of the wider RiverLink project.
The money was part of Kāinga Ora’s Infrastructure Acceleration Funding agreement with Lower Hutt City Council, designed to support housing developments by upgrading water infrastructure in the city.
Bishop said shifting the funds was a “pragmatic decision” driven by Lower Hutt City Council.
He said the council had come to him having identified an “underspend” with the infrastructure money and asked to transfer that to the CityLink Bridge.
“It’s actually pretty straightforward – the council asked for it, we agreed.”
He said the government had agreed to a similar request Hamilton City Council made last year, asking if money allocated for a cycleway could be put into water infrastructure instead.
Asked whether he should have recused himself from the Lower Hutt decision, Bishop said it was not unusual to make decisions impacting multiple portfolios and electorates.
“I don’t think there’s a conflict there.”
But Hipkins slammed the move as a “very questionable process”.
“It certainly doesn’t pass the sniff test in terms of having one minister, moving money from one portfolio that he’s responsible for, to another portfolio that he’s responsible for, for a project which he campaigned on in his own electorate, which his government cancelled.”
He said the government should not be re-allocating money away from stormwater upgrades to “prop up” a project it cancelled.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he backed Bishop’s decision as “pragmatic”.
“Also he took advice from the Cabinet Office and acted accordingly on that advice.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
