Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and opposition leader Christopher Luxon respond to questions on petrol prices.
Video / Mark Mitchell
Fuel taxes are under attack, with Opposition politicians saying the Government has done nothing to counter rising petrol prices.
The Government says a whimsical global environment is largely the reason prices have gone as high as $3 a litre in recent days.
National Party leader Christopher Luxon today lambasted theAuckland regional fuel tax, which is 10 cents per litre plus GST.
Simon Bridges says the Government doesn't know what to do with millions, even hundreds of millions, of dollars raised from the Auckland regional fuel tax. Photo /Mark Mitchell
The tax is supposed to support transport projects that would otherwise be delayed or go begging.
"Many other countries are experiencing the same insecurity, based on issues that are outside of any country's control at the moment," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today.
Brent Crude was US$92.69 early this afternoon, up from about US$67.45 on December 1.
"We of course continue to monitor the market, [and] do what we can domestically," Ardern said.
But she said New Zealand was "at the whim of a tough international environment".
Transport Minister Michael Wood's office said global crude oil prices largely influenced rising petrol prices.
Apart from that, he said importer costs, levies, the emissions trading scheme and importer margins influenced prices.
Wood said margins for fuel firms were down after he wrote in December asking why margins were so high.
Petrol price app Gaspy's users were reporting prices for 91 ranging from $2.64 to $2.86 in central Auckland and $2.49 to $2.86 a litre in greater Wellington this morning.
