David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Will the minister rule out a proposed 10 per cent annual increase to the heavy vehicle road user charge, which would drive up the cost of living for all Australians?

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks very much to the member for the question. As the member knows, the heavy vehicle charges are set as a collective decision by all states and territories, including, the last time I looked, the Liberal-held states of New South Wales and Tasmania. Of course, the heavy vehicle charges are to actually fund the share of the damage that is done by heavy vehicles to our regional roads in particular. We have you all out there screaming and saying, 'There are roads, I need funding for. I want all this money. I want you to fund it,' but, at the same time, we have you guys out there again saying, 'Somehow or other, we will cut fuel tax credits'—apparently, they were the only people who did that—'and we will do these heavy vehicle charges.' Again, I would say very clearly: no decision has been taken on heavy vehicle road user charges, but this is a decision that is taken collectively by every state and territory government, including those held by the Liberal Party.