THE federal government has sparked public outcry with an announcement that it would get around the Senate by using regulation to reintroduce regular fuel tax hikes, which are expected to cost average households 40¢ a week from November 10.
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Federal member for Kennedy Bob Katter has condemned the government’s new tax hike on motorists and dismissed claims that the money raised would fund road projects.
“The cost of fuel in Australia is already exorbitant – in North Queensland we are consistently and continually paying close to $1.60 a litre for fuel,’’ Mr Katter said.
“Fuel prices already place huge pressure on Queenslanders’ weekly budgets, and unlike metropolitan Australia we don’t have the choice of extensive government-subsidised public transport systems.
“The government said the funds from this tax hike would go to improving roads – it will, and these roads will be Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
‘‘This mob has not allocated a cent to roads north of Townsville.
“All these governments have done is cut, cut, cut. There is barely a dollar allocated for highways in rural and regional Queensland.’’
In the 43rd Parliament, north Queensland was allocated close to $1000 million on roads, and almost $400 million from the later years of the Howard government.
“Prior to this government we benefited from two Cairns overpasses and significant funds allocated to other areas in the Kennedy electorate such as the Bruce Highway, Hann Highway, Flinders Highway, Outback Way, Wills Development Road, Phosphate Hill Road, various truck rest areas and boom gate crossings, Cardwell Range, Gairloch floodway, Mulgrave River Bridge, Bruce Highway upgrades, Savannah Way, the Cloncurry truck bypass, and various black spots,’’ Mr Katter said.
