Michael Wood
MP for Mt Roskill
Spokesperson for Transport

MEDIA STATEMENT

14 September 2017

Is National planning a secret fuel tax?

Sources suggest National is considering a secret fuel tax to fund its controversial Roads of National Significance (RONS) programme, says Labour’s Transport spokesperson Michael Wood.

“While the Government keeps up its stream of lies about Labour’s tax policy, sources indicate that the Ministry of Transport has been conducting secret modelling work on a 5-10 cent nationwide fuel tax increase to fund National’s $10.5 billion RONS programme.

“This would come on top of the 15 cent per litre increase on fuel taxes that National has already implemented to fund the previous RONS programme.

“Steven Joyce has got to come clean on whether he is modelling a 5-10 cent fuel tax for Kiwi drivers. I am asking him three simple questions:

1) Has the Ministry of Transport been modelling an increase in fuel excise duty above current levels?
2) Is the purpose of such an increase to fund the $10.5 billion RONS 2.0 programme?
3) If a fuel excise duty increase to fund the RONS programme is required, will he be transparent about this before the election?

“The difference is stark. National has an obsession with fiscally reckless motorway projects. They will spend up large but make transport worse.

“Labour has a fully costed and transparent transport plan that will get people and freight moving, and that plan identifies our funding sources,” says Michael Wood.

ends

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