ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕟 𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕙𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕕𝕖𝕡𝕦𝕥𝕪 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕟 𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕙𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤. 𝔸𝕕𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕗𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕒𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕣

N

ational has clarified its contradictory position on fuel taxes after the party said, apparently by mistake, it might at least contemplate putting them up at the same time the Government has promised to hike fuel taxes, prompting Labour to demand National gets its position straight.

Deputy leader Nicola Willis clarified later on Thursday the party’s “commitment is not to consider increasing petrol tax until the cost of living is under control, with inflation under 3 per cent”.

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“This means our first GPS [Government Policy Statement on Land Transport - effectively a transport budget] will not include fuel excise increases,” Willis told the Herald.

That means no fuel increases between 2024-2027, the first transport budget National would be able to put together if it wins the election.

National gets story straight on fuel taxes, clarifying contradictionhttps://t.co/9RhWqo2xv0

— Newstalk ZB (@NewstalkZB) August 18, 2023

She cleaned up a mess National had got itself in earlier that day after Transport Minister David Parker said fuel excise would go up 2 cents a litre from July next year, the first of what would will ultimately equate to 12 cents in hikes.

Less than an hour after this was announced, Willis and transport spokesman Simeon Brown appeared on Parliament’s black and white tiles saying they would not “contemplate” a fuel tax hike until inflation was back within the 1-3 per cent target band - an event that would mark the symbolic end of the cost of living crisis.

“What we don’t think it is right is increasing petrol tax in the middle of a cost of living crisis,” Willis said.

“What we will do instead is we will wait until the cost of living crisis is over - that is, inflation under 3 per cent before we do any [hikes],” she said.

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“This is our commitment to New Zealand: your petrol tax will not go up under National until inflation is under control,” Willis said.

Brown added: “What we have said is we will not be increasing fuel taxes while inflation is over 3 per cent, that is our commitment.”

Eagle-eyed observers, including Parker, noticed that inflation would come under control, by Willis’ own definition, exactly when the Government panned to hike taxes. In other words, National could raise fuel taxes exactly when Labour would.

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Parker rushed out a press release saying Willis “clearly knows that National’s transport plan doesn’t add up. National needs to explain to voters how much they plan to increase FED and RUC [fuel taxes and road user charges] by and whether they would increase it sooner if inflation came down faster”.

“National need to front up to voters right now and stop hiding their intentions,” Parker said.

This is quite different to what Brown had said in May, which was: “At this stage we don’t intend to be increasing fuel excise. We will be putting out our policy on transport investment closer to the election.”

“National’s Transport Spokesperson Simeon Brown and Judith Collins clearly missed the memo, with both claiming that National would not increase FED and RUC over the next three years. They obviously don’t talk to each other,” Parker said, making reference to Judith Collins for a reason that remains unclear.

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