Day of Protest by Truckers against Labour's surprise tax(UPDATED)

The massive surprise price increase of road user charges on Tuesday, after the Minister of Transport Annette King promised a lead in time so transport operators could plan ahead, has backfired on the Labour Government.

Annette Kings answer to the truckers protest? She described the proposed protests as "outrageous" and the transport industry "hasn't been paying their fair share".

Good blue collar workers being called outrageous for sticking up for themselves after Anette King breaks a promise, by a Labour Government! Where will it end?

Truckers, who are the lifeblood of any economy, will be protesting in all major centres this Friday 4 July (Independence day!) Auckland action will be taken between 7.30am and 9am, with more than 1,000 trucks converging on Queen Street.

The price rise comes at a time when the economy is in recession and transport operators have been pushed to the brink by high taxes, high diesel costs and legislative red tape. The rise will also hurt kiwis, who are already struggling, because the higher user charges mean higher costs for food, gas and other consumer goods.

The kick in the guts yesterday was that the same day our Government took control of what they are calling KiwiRail, the private competition to KiwiRail, the trucking industry, was being taxed again by the owners of the rail company.

Political corruption at its highest.

The irony here, isn't lost on most intelligent individuals, when Ms Clark accused John Key, in Parliament today, of corruption over owing shares in NZ Rail back in the 1990s while Key was advising on a sale of the company through Bankers Trust. This turned out to be yet another lie by the Prime minister.

Just like the massive financial failures KiwiBank, KiwiSaver (I see a pattern forming here) and Air New Zealand, we have in KiwiRail a company that will use taxpayer funds to compete with private enterprise, while making the competition rules up themselves!!

My dear old departed Dad, who was a truckie himself, would be out in his home town of Hastings protesting this move by Annette King and the Labour Government.

This is corrupt practice, by a desperate and corrupt government with a dishonest Prime minister.

Get out there Friday in your town and tell these meddling socialists who is boss.

It ain't and never should be them.



Related Political Animal Reading

Day of Protest over EFB : Auckland Nov 17, 2007
Helen Clark & Jenette Fitzsimmons knee deep in Windflow Technology conflict of interest
Reality needs to bite
KiwiRail will cost Mainfreight

c Political Animal 2008