Winstone Peters
Wellington, July 5, 2017
The government’s fuel price report, which concludes that many people may or may not be paying more for fuel, is only half the story about price extortion.
While most of the fuel companies are definitely ripping motorists off, the fact is that well over 51 per of petrol prices are taxes Ms Collins’ government is grabbing from motorists as well.
It is more distraction politics.
These taxes should be itemised on petrol pump receipts so people realise just how much the government takes, but it gets worse.
Consumers pay an excise tax, then the Emissions Trading Scheme levy and then Messrs Joyce and English slash GST over the top of that. The same applies to diesel road user charges.
They have upped fuel excise taxes, slapped the ETS levy on top of that then whack consumers with GST. A tax on taxes.
And if there is to be an inquiry, what about one into obscenely high retail electricity prices.
What do you hear from Labour and National, the Coke and Pepsi of politics?
That is right. It is the sound of chirping crickets.
We do not need another review or another inquiry, what we need is leadership – we are going to stop this unnecessary charging of New Zealanders by the government, and wholesalers and retailers of energy.
Winston Peters is elected Member of Parliament from Northland Constituency and Leader of the New Zealand First Party.
