The bizarre turn of events over what Maurice Williamson said about tolling roads last week goes completely beyond me.
Not only was it nothing to be ashamed about-shame on you John Key for humiliating him-but it is something that the Labour party are keen on doing themselves.
Labour have a raft of measures to increase the burden on vehicle drivers that they are not highlighting.
1. Labour allowed local authorities to charge a 5c a litre tax on petrol.
2. Helen Clark has single handedly at least tripled the cost of the Waterview link of the South Western motorway simply because she insists on a tunnel rather than a conventional motorway.
The rest of that motorway runs conventionally until it reaches Helen Clark's electorate. Where it abruptly stops. Tolls will be charged by Labour to fund this tunnel.
The cost of Helen's couple of kilometres of motorway? More than 2 billion dollars.
Where will it come from? Your pocket.
3. a host of carbon related taxes for motorists-courtesy of the fraudulent emissions trading bill, set to be passed over the next 2 weeks. Motorists will be taxed according to engine size for example.
The extra cost for motoring is clearly higher under Labour but they are not telling you, the voter, the truth about it.
Williamson was talking the truth about tolls, Labour will have tolls as well plus the extra taxes outlined above.
Related Political Animal reading
Fraudulent Emissions Trading Bill
c Political Animal 2008
