Exactly. Road building in New Zealand seems to be more about providing an ongoing maintenance contract to a small number of companies rather than building quality long-lasting roads that require little maintenance. A properly maintained asphalt surface will last 15-20 years where as slapping down some tar and throwing some stones on top for a busy road will last 3-6 months before the constant maintenance is required. Sure, the costs are considerably higher to build asphalt roads, but in doing so maybe a lot more thought and consideration would be taken into account before building. Is this road really required and in building it, what are we hoping to achieve?

I don't really care about the expenses incurred for MP's as that is small potatoes when compared to the corporate welfare dished out each year at taxpayers expense.

When some of the more controversial pieces of legislation passed in New Zealand in recent times; Search & Surveillance, Electoral Finance etc, have been of the knee-jerk variety. Then a four year term will make no difference.

Of more concern to me is the abuse of Parliamentary process in the rushing through under 'urgency' of legislation that demands more scrutiny rather than to satisfy the government-of-the-day's own ideology... or just because they can.