i-Rex ferries would have started arriving today
NZ previously secured next-gen, hybrid ferries for 40% less than market price during Covid. The cancellation of these partially built 2026 ferries resulted in a loss of $700m to more than $1bn
Interislander
Luxon & Willis Double Down on Ferries Debacle
Government sneakily shifts the numbers on the cancelled Kiwirail i-Rex project from $3b to $4b as Luxon and Willis defend their plan for a plan.
Nicola Willis Deflects As National Splurge On Roads
Nicola Willis deflects a question on why National are spending billions on roads without a business case – after cancelling the 2026 i-Rex – which had a strong business case and required $1.4bn more to complete seismic upgraded ports and next generation ferries.
Willis’s Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation
Nicola Willis’s bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander project cancellation has so far cost Kiwis $1bn, but that’s not all. Today RNZ’s reporting reveals the government may have also undermined NZ’s relationship with South Korea.
Winston Peters – lazy hypocrite on ferries
My ire was raised this morning when I read a pile of PR drivel from acting PM Winston Peters about the Interislander. If he wanted to be useful looking at “critical part of our infrastructure” – then there are number of better things he could usefully do – rather than chasing headlines.