David Seymour defends the proposed 12-cent fuel tax increase as essential for maintaining road infrastructure, arguing that road funding relies on road user charges and that delaying the increase undermines long-term fiscal stability, while acknowledging short-term cost of living
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Yes, but also just take a few steps back. People are in massive agony. Prices at the pump are stinging. That's true. I understand that. But the reason for delaying the fuel tax increase is because those prices are high right now. But the proposed increase is not happening right now. It's happening on the 1st of January. And who knows what the prices, they could be lower by the start of next year than they were at the start of this year. We just don't know. So I think my position is probably not we should increase them, it's we should actually not cancel them at a time we don't know because, as you say, the roads do need to be built, they do need to be maintained and the National Land Transport Fund is actually not funded by taxpayers, it's exclusively funded by road user charges and excise tax on petrol. You take that away, you're back to potholes and windy roads that are dangerous and less economic.
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low taxes with long-term financial discipline
David Seymour: ACT leader explains why planned increase in fuel taxes should go aheadproven track record in restoring budget surplus
\\ \\ **Press Release**\\ \\ **Free never means free with Labour**\\ \\ ****David Seymour****\\ \\ 16 Jun 2026\\ \\ “Every single one of Labour’s promises of ‘free’ services will end up costing taxpayers. Chris Hipkins is building up false hope by promising people things that they can’t afford, the most cynical type of politics,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.\\ \\ **Read More**Spotted something wrong on this page? Report a correction.
