Farmers Angered By Suggested Petrol Tax

13 February 2002

Federated Farmers of New Zealand (Inc) is angered by suggestions that the Government intends to impose an additional four cent per litre fuel tax on all New Zealanders to pay for Auckland's transport problems.

"The Government claims to be concerned about economic growth but is prepared to introduce new taxes at the drop of a hat. It is time to bring an end to such ad hocery," says Federated Farmers Vice President Tom Lambie.

"If successive Governments had not been pandering to local government patch protection and had got on with much needed road reform, innovative approaches could be in place for Auckland now.

"It is time for comprehensive long term national solutions, the whole of New Zealand should not be expected to pay the price for government's on-going failure. If this Government is too weak to face up to the politics of local authorities then they should stop siphoning off current petrol taxes into consolidated revenue and instead fund Auckland's transport problem from these existing taxes.."

ENDS

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