Brown SimeonSIMEON BROWN (National—Pakuranga): Thank you very much Madam Assistant Speaker for the opportunity to speak on this piece of legislation. It's a sad day down here in the House where we're passing—well this Government wants to pass another tax for New Zealanders. We've just heard from one of the members of the Government and we had a simple question for her which is: when is Penlink going to start. Well Penlink is a wish list under this project. It's a wish list because they don't have a public-private partnership partner and here's what's news for the people of Rodney who are listening—they're going to have to pay three times: one through their petrol excise; two through this fuel tax; and three through a toll road which they'll be putting on board. That's something which I'm sure they will be not very happy about.This new tax which is getting put on all Aucklanders is not just for Aucklanders. That's the first point I'd like to make this afternoon. This fuel tax is not a regional fuel tax; it is a fuel tax which will be applied to Auckland from this Sunday and it is a fuel tax which will be able to be applied by all councils from 2021. We've already seen reports of 11 other councils lining up—can't wait to get their hands on some of this cash. This fuel tax is not regional.The second point is that this tax will hurt all New Zealanders through the increased costs that it will impose because this fuel tax will have a huge impact on not just the back pockets of people who fill up their cars to take their kids to school to go and pick up the groceries but it will have a flow-on effect into the cost of literally everything that is purchased. The fruit and veges taking children to school going to the shops—everything will increase in cost. I'm not sure what the Green Party's thinking today but they're even increasing the fuel on all the vegetables which they want people to eat. This is a vegetable tax" and they're supporting that to go through.This tax is also a tax which isn't wanted. Aucklanders have had a truncated process of consultation imposed upon them. Isn't it shameful that here in this House the democratic process gets truncated when it comes to this tax. Yes they signalled it as a tax they were going to be putting through if they came into Government but they have truncated the process and they have ignored the people who have been part of the consultation. The best support they can find for their tax is a poll which came out before the details were released—before the fact that 12c extra was going to be imposed upon people and increase excise levies as well.The shameful fact is that ever since this legislation has come to the House consultation has been consistently opposed to this tax. Over 50 percent of Aucklanders said no. Over 80 percent of those who submitted to Parliament's Finance and Expenditure Committee said no. This Government is ignoring the people of Auckland and the people of this country at their peril. As my good friend and colleague Denise Lee said they will feel the pain this Sunday. They will feel the pain as Aucklanders go down and fill up their car and then the cost of everything will go up.This is also a tax which isn't needed. We've heard lots of arguments around why the Government's decided to impose this tax against the will of people up and down this country. They've talked about all these great projects. Yes there's a great project out in my part of Auckland called the Auckland-Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative Eastern Busway. That project was already funded under the previous regional land transport plan. That was fully funded by the previous National Government. Guess what Madam Assistant Speaker and everyone listening at home—that project was funded without the need of an additional fuel tax.The real reason why Phil Goff and Phil Twyford want this tax is so they can build a tram up through the Prime Minister's electorate up through Dominion Road down to the airport—I'm still waiting to know what the benefit-cost ratio of that project is going to be. What's the commercial viability of that project? When is it going to be delivered? This is about letting the council off the hook letting the Government off the hook so they can build a tramline up through the Prime Minister's electorate and not invest in the projects which we had already funded. They're getting Aucklanders to pay twice with the benefit being taken away.This tax is not needed. This tax is not wanted. This tax is not regional. On this side of the House we are proud to vote against this tax and we will repeal this legislation if we come into power in 2020. Thank you very much Madam Assistant Speaker."