Govt gives with one hand, takes away by the tank

The Ardern-Peters Government has played a cruel joke on low income New Zealanders, trumpeting a 75 cent an hour increase in the minimum wage only to propose a hike of up to 25 cents a litre on fuel just days later, Opposition Leader Simon Bridges says.

“This Government has talked about supporting low income New Zealanders but its extraordinary proposal to make motorists pay up to an extra $15 at the petrol pump every time they fill their car up will hit them right in the backpocket.

“The confirmed Auckland regional fuel tax and the proposed ‘Winston Peters Regional New Zealand Fuel Tax’ will have a real impact.

“Someone on the new minimum wage will have to work more than 20 hours just to get ahead - once the additional cost of keeping their car running is taken into account.

“And with the extra costs incurred by businesses as a result of wage and fuel price rises likely to be passed on to consumers it’s bad news all round for New Zealand households.

“What makes this more appalling is just months ago the Government announced an inquiry into petrol prices saying New Zealanders were paying too much at the pump.

“In contrast, Easter Weekend is when National’s 2017 Budget would have made workers on the minimum wage $500 a year better off thanks to tax threshold changes.

“Given the Government is now considering imposing a raft of new taxes New Zealanders will rightly be starting to question how they and their families can get ahead.

“It’s unacceptable and an unfair burden on New Zealanders.

“It reeks of a government with no plan, no idea how to grow an economy, no clue how to support businesses and no awareness of the impacts its bad decisions are having on hardworking New Zealanders.”

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