28 February 2002

The 4 cents a litre fuel tax rise is another blow to New Zealand families, says United Future leader, Hon Peter Dunne.

Mr Dunne says that long-suffering, ever paying mainstream New Zealand families are the losers from this move.

"In addition to all the other costs they have to bear they are now being told they have to pay up to 7 times for their roading."

"They already pay their general taxes, their fuel excise taxes, GST, and if they are in the transport industry, road user charges and ACC levies."

"Now they will pay the new Gosche tax, and face the prospect of tolls on their roads as well."

"And if they live outside Auckland, there is absolutely no guarantee that they will see any tangible benefit in there area as a consequence."

"Public transport and freight companies have just seen their costs rise by hundreds of thousands of dollars through this new tax, and they will be forced to recoup this money from the same long suffering New Zealand families."

"Mainstream families have been ignored for too long, and seen as no more than a source of tax revenue for greedy and inefficient governments, and this increase is but the latest blow."

"Yet these families are the same people who run our community and voluntary associations, run our school boards of trustees, and spend most weekends on the sidelines coaching their kids' sports teams."

"The only recognition they seem to get is a further raid on their pockets by rapacious redistributive governments, who prefer to spend other peoples' money ahead of getting their own house in order," Mr Dunne says.

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