Jami-Lee Ross - Transport
17 May 2018
Phil Twyford’s baseless assurance that only Aucklanders will be socked with two new fuel taxes is quickly unravelling
with Tauranga City the latest council to say it wants to impose it on its ratepayers, National’s Transport spokesperson
Jami-Lee Ross says.
“Tauranga has joined the growing list of councils including Hamilton, Christchurch and Wellington lining up to ask Mr
Twyford for their version of Auckland’s regional fuel tax.
“They all want to impose the same addition of up to $15 every time a family fills up, thanks to the 11.5 cents per litre
regional fuel tax increase and 13.8 cents per litre national fuel tax hike – and they can do it in the next three years
because the Government’s bad legislation allows them to.
“Labour campaigned during the election on introducing a fuel tax for Auckland only, but the legislation it has
introduced allows fuel taxes to be imposed across the country in the next couple of years.
“And these councils clearly believe that the Government will be rolling new taxes out for them across the country.
“Instead of going back to the electorate or passing a new Bill for new taxes, this Government is simply slipping in the
ability to tax motorists more across New Zealand into their Auckland regional fuel tax legislation.
“Regional fuel taxes are an expensive and unnecessary experiment that impose steep costs on those who can least afford
it.
“This is a Government that has inherited a strong economy and increasing surpluses. There is no need for even more taxes
on New Zealanders.”
ends