9. Question No. 9—Energy and ResourcesHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Energy and ResourcesQuestion No. 9—Energy and Resources9. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Energy and Resources: How many cents per litre has the petrol margin trend New Zealand" in the MBIE data set titled "weekly fuel price monitoring" changed between the most recent data point and 27 October 2017; and how many cents per litre have total Government or local government taxes increased over the same period in and outside of Auckland?Hon DAVID PARKER (Acting Minister of Energy and Resources): 1.32 9.53 11.5 9.53 and 0. For the benefit of the member from October 2017 to 28 September 2018 the actual increase in the importer margin was 9.28c. This is part of a longer trend. In 2008 New Zealand had one of the lowest pre-tax fuel costs in the OECD. By 2018 the pre-tax cost for fuel in New Zealand was the highest in the OECD.Hon Paul Goldsmith: So is it correct that the 1.3c increase in the fuel company margin over a year when smoothed out as a trend is more than accounted for by the cost of the regional fuel tax which is included in that margin?Hon DAVID PARKER: The member misunderstands what the most relevant figure is. In respect of importer margins the actual increase from October 2017 to 28 September 2018 was 9.28c per litre and as I said this is part of a longer trend which has seen New Zealand from having amongst the lowest pre-tax fuel costs in the OECD having by 2018 the highest pre-tax fuel costs in the OECD.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Would it surprise the member that the figure for retail margins that he just quoted bounces around? The Prime Minister used 27 October 2017 to 28 September 2018 to show a 9.8c increase in importer margin. If someone used the dates 8 December 2017 to 5 October 2018 the figure is 1c rather than 9.8c. And given the bouncing around the fairest representation of importer margins is the trend.Hon DAVID PARKER: As everyone who goes to the petrol station knows the price of fuel varies significantly from month to month. It has many components: oil taxes and importer margins. The biggest change has been in the price of oil which has increased by more than 50 percent in the last year.Hon Paul Goldsmith: So is it correct that after taking the Auckland fuel tax into account margins have decreased over the past year by the petrol margin trend measure?Hon DAVID PARKER: The largest increase has been of the margin that is going to the exporter of oil because the price of oil has increased by more than 50 percent over the last year.Hon Paul Goldsmith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. He didn't answer the question which—SPEAKER: Well I think the member can ask the question again.Hon Paul Goldsmith: So is it correct that after taking the Auckland fuel tax into account margins will have decreased over the past year by the petrol margin trend measure?Hon DAVID PARKER: No. As I said when I last answered that question the largest increase in margin has been as a consequence of the change in oil prices. That margin has been received by oil sellers who have managed to increase their price over the last year by more than 50 percent.Hon Paul Goldsmith: So does he agree with the Prime Minister's conclusion: "New Zealand consumers in my book are being fleeced."?Hon DAVID PARKER: In respect of the increase in importer margins that appears to be the case. As I have said the latest annual trends are part of a longer trend which has seen New Zealand move from 2008 when we were in the position that we had the lowest pre-tax fuel costs in the OECD. By 2018 the pre-tax fuel costs for New Zealand were the highest in the OECD.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Who is doing the fleecing if by the time period that the Prime Minister referred to fuel company margins have increased by 1.3 percent over the year including the cost of an Auckland fuel tax—or is it his Government that's doing the fleecing by increasing taxes on a monumental scale?Hon DAVID PARKER: To quote the member's own question to me just a couple of supplementaries before it said that some of these prices move around month to month. That is true. That is why the long-term trend is the one that most attention should be paid to which I repeat has seen New Zealand move from having amongst the lowest pre-tax fuel costs in 2008 in the OECD to having the highest pre-tax fuel cost in the OECD in 2018."