National's new tax is a bridge too far: Toll plan a betrayal of “no new taxes” promise

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the Government’s plan to toll the existing Auckland Harbour Bridge to help fund a new Waitematā Harbour crossing.

Taxpayers’ Union Spokesperson Tory Relf says:

“For a party that campaigned on ‘no new taxes’, the National-led Government is sure as hell departing from the script. In the past two weeks alone, during a cost-of-living crisis, the Government has gone after power bills, commuters, mortgages, water charges, and even floated a bed tax — now they want to whack drivers crossing a harbour bridge that was paid for in full generations ago.”

“Let’s be clear: yes, Auckland needs a second harbour crossing, and yes, that new crossing should be tolled with a user-pays model.”

“But tolling the existing Harbour Bridge, a piece of infrastructure whose construction costs were paid off and tolls removed generations ago, breaks every part of that equation.”

“Any politician calling this proposed $9 per vehicle toll ‘user pays’ is gaslighting. Once you sever the link between the toll and the service a driver actually benefits from, it stops being a fee and starts being a tax. And a Government that promised no new taxes should understand the difference.”

“Minister Bishop has to sell this but make no mistake, the blame lies squarely at the feet of Nicola Willis. She is the one who has failed to follow through on the pre-election promises to get spending under control. As a result, Ministers are forced to scramble to find new revenue schemes just to pay for the basics.”

“Kiwis were promised discipline and no new taxes. What they’re getting is a Government that has continued Grant Robertson-era spending and now expect motorists to pay even more.”

“Right now, Willis is spending even more, even adjusting for inflation and population growth, than Grant Robertson, who Willis alleged had an ‘addiction to spending’. Willis’ failure to cut spending means their ‘no new taxes’ claims are hollow.”

“Fair enough tolls are put on new infrastructure but make no mistake: tolling a bridge that we paid for 60 years ago is not user pays, it’s yet another a tax grab.”