Todd Muller National MP

On July 1, the government's Regional Fuel Tax came into effect after Labour put the House into urgency so they could rush it through.

The law was passed to allow an additional fuel tax in Auckland, but the government has left the door open for other councils to follow suit. Our city and regional councils here in Tauranga have already signalled they are interested.

In my view, the last thing hard working Tauranga families who are trying to get ahead need is another tax!

My concerns about this government's economic agenda are continuing to mount. Already we are seeing business confidence plummet, thousands of workers across New Zealand on strike or announcing their intentions to - including our local MBIE and Inland Revenue staff who just this week marched down Cameron Road to The Strand in protest - and the borrowing of $17 billion more than the previous National government planned.

That's the equivalent of what we invested rebuilding Christchurch following the Canterbury earthquakes.