Joyce signals tax cuts

Stuff reports:

Finance Minister Steven Joyce has signalled that cutting the top tax rate paid by lower and middle income earners is his top priority for tax cuts. 

Actually he said he wants to reduce the impact of marginal tax rates on lower and middle income earners which could mean adjusting the thresholds as well as the rates.

The Government’s position was that any road pricing initiative on existing motorways and highways would be as a replacement for petrol taxes and road user charges not in addition to them.

Also it was not interested in introducing a regional fuel tax, Joyce said.

He and Transport Minister Simon Bridges had told the Auckland Council on Thursday “we do not see regional fuel taxes as part of the Government’s mix for transport in Auckland because they are administratively difficult, prone to leakage and cost-spreading, and blur the accountabilities between central and local government”.

My preference is congestion charging for new roads.