Brendan Horan
New Zealand First MP
15 Feb 2012 New Zealand First sole voice against Road User Charges Bill

New Zealand First Sole Voice Against Road User Charges Bill

NZ First Transport spokesperson Brendan Horan says he is stunned that parliament has passed an unfair law on road user charges without thinking about the way it will affect thousands of New Zealanders.

Parliament last night voted 113-8 to pass the Road User Charges Bill with only New Zealand First voting against it.

The Bill changes the system so that operators will be charged according to their vehicles’ maximum carrying capacities rather than the actual loads carried.

“This legislation could be the catalyst leading to every truck on our roads carrying maximum weight loads resulting in more wear and tear as well as obvious safety issues”, Mr Horan said.

“Rather than improving the lives of New Zealanders this bill will have a ‘user pays trickle down affect’ that will increase the price of everyday items across the board.

“It surprised me that MPs from other parties voted for this legislation when they clearly knew that a fairer system should have been sought,” said Mr Horan.

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