Carter John: Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Carter John: Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:609;Page:6491] 
JOHN CARTER (NZ National—Northland) 
: 
 There are a couple of important issues that have been alluded to but they need to be cemented in to be sheeted home. One of the things that— 
John Key 
: Did the Minister say “Yes” or “No”? 
Hon Annette King 
: I said “Maybe”. 
JOHN CARTER 
: What is more the young fellow is blushing in anticipation. He is going to ring his mother to see if it is all right. 
John Key 
: She has broken a lot of hearts in her time. 
JOHN CARTER 
: Yes he will have to watch that. It happens to all us young people! Shall we focus on the bill for a while? I have been listening closely and there is one issue that concerns me. 
Rodney Hide 
: Just one! 
JOHN CARTER 
: No there are a number but there is one that has not been mentioned yet and that we need to talk about in the context of this new levy. We have talked about the alcohol tax that was passed. We have talked about the flatulence tax which is coming up shortly. I think there is possibly the imposition of a levy on power. 
Brian Connell 
: Yes. 
JOHN CARTER 
: There is something along those lines. Then we have the levy in this bill. 
Phil Heatley 
: In Northland. 
JOHN CARTER 
: Not just in Northland but across New Zealand—4c extra. But members should not forget that there is a new one going on as well—the 10c regional tax. I wonder whether the Minister in the chair could stand and tell us what all these taxes mean for New Zealanders in dollars and cents terms. The levy in this bill is a quite significant tax for New Zealanders in dollars and cents terms. It is all very well for members in this Parliament to talk about levies and adjusting the rates of excise duty etc. but people listening to their crystal sets will want to know what that means in terms of their pocket. This is where we need the Minister in charge of this bill—the Minister of Health who is filling in for the Minister in charge—to take a call and just explain in dollars and cents terms what the levy means per litre of petrol or diesel or whatever fuel people use in their vehicles. Most people do not understand excise duty; they are not sure what it means. They just talk about an excise duty. We have a responsibility to explain to people the impact on their pocket. I want to hear somebody— 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: This Government doesn’t worry about that. 
JOHN CARTER 
: That is the problem. That is why I urge the Minister to take a call and tell the people of New Zealand what it will cost. A lot of them will be listening to their radios as they are driving home in the congestion in Auckland. As they are sitting in their cars on the motorway they will be wondering how this levy is going to impact on their pocket. 
John Key 
: It’s well over a dollar every time they fill up a medium-sized car. 
JOHN CARTER 
: This is the problem. The good member John Key is happy to have this information made available. 
Phil Heatley 
: He’s done the work. 
JOHN CARTER 
: He has done the work but the Minister in the chair should be doing this work and telling people that it is likely to cost them a dollar a tank of gas for an average-sized car every time they fill up. 
John Key 
: What about the boat? 
JOHN CARTER 
: We will not get into that. We will just talk about the motorist with an average-sized family car. When the motorist pulls into the gas station and fills up the tank another dollar will be added. The problem is what impact it will have on the ability of parents to give their schoolchildren money for their schoolbooks for example. People probably fill up their tank about two or three times a week on average. So that is $2 or $3 extra a week and maybe $5 extra. That all adds up. In dollar terms in terms of how it affects their pocket where will they get this extra money? The extra cost will outstrip the increase those people get in their wages. 
It concerns me that on legislation like this the Minister in the chair does not seem inclined to take a call. That is a pity. The only response she has given to anyone was to Darren Hughes when he was on his knees in front of her—and she still has a smile on her face; I am sure the people of New Zealand will want to know about that. But I am worried about the impact this levy is going to have.