Across the aisle on infrastructure
This election National Road Carriers continues to meet with members of parliament from across the aisle to promote sensible policies for the freight and supply chain industry.
Pleasingly we are seeing some sensible positions being held across both the coalition government and opposition. Following on from talking with the Act Party’s Simon Court on their Transport Policy, this week I met with Kieran McAnulty, Labour’s spokesperson for Infrastructure, and Tangi Utikere, its spokesperson for Transport, to take them through NRC’s Election Calls 2026.
Infrastructure and supply chain underpin our whole economy, they are too important to be played with as election cycle fodder. I’m seeing a maturing in New Zealand’s political discourse that recognises this. We’ve moved from road verus rail to support for bi-partisan infrastructure projects.
Labour recognises the importance of stability in the infrastructure pipeline, and in major structural changes to government. It backs the Infrastructure Commission’s National Infrastructure Plan and its recommendations. A contractor deciding whether to buy another fleet of tippers or take on apprentices needs to know the project will not be cancelled after the next election. A stable pipeline is what turns confidence into investment in plant, people and capability here in New Zealand.
The same thinking applies to the machinery of government. Big structural changes, like the new Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport, only pay off if they are given time to bed in. Tearing up the org chart every three years is just another cancelled project.
Common ground on drivers
The second area of agreement was workforce. Labour agreed with our call for truck driving to be recognised as a skilled role for immigration purposes, with incentives such as a pathway to citizenship for the drivers we need, which was put in place by Michael Wood under the last Labour-led government.
It sits comfortably with the immigration policy Labour released this month. Phil Twyford put it bluntly: New Zealand “cannot afford to operate as a training ground and transit lounge for Australia.” Our members could have written that line. They train good drivers, then watch Australian firms recruit them across the Tasman. Labour also proposes a Government Policy Statement on long-term immigration needs, the kind of planned approach NRC has been asking for.
Diesel prices up again
Diesel is back in the headlines. Brent Crude went above US$100 a barrel in early September before easing back to the mid-$90s, helped by oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz at a six-month high in the first half of the month.
Supply here remains strong. MBIE reported 50.7 days’ cover of diesel on 20 September, and says fuel importers “have provided good confidence in their forward supplies, with planned orders extending for the next 3 months.”
The risk to watch is in Washington. The US administration is examining a ban on diesel exports to ease pain at the pump for voters ahead of the mid-term elections. Analysts warn it would push diesel prices up everywhere else, and we buy every litre on that world market.
Our election is on 7 November. Theirs is on 3 November. Both will shape what it costs to move freight in 2027. Now is the time to check your fuel adjustment clauses are current, and to keep your customers informed.
Justin
