WAATEA NEWS COLUMN: It will be the Working Class, Beneficiaries, Students, Pensioners, Māori, Pasifika and Disabled who will be hurt most at the Pump
As petrol prices surge, it will be working-class families, beneficiaries, students, pensioners, Māori, Pasifika and disabled people who carry the heaviest burden — unless the Government urgently intervenes with practical cost-of-living relief.
Why petrol price inflation hits the poorest hardest
The Government is loathe to do anything about the Petrol price inflation because they have spent the last two weeks attacking Labour’s response to COVID.
Political paralysis instead of leadership
This has created political paralysis rather than leadership.
Most Working People, Beneficiaries, Students, Pensioners, Māori, Pasifika and the Disabled do not have the luxury or privilege to simply accept those petrol price increases so the longer it takes for the Government to have a response, the more pain they are expected to carry while food inflation spikes to 4.5%!
We need solutions now, not when we run out of fuel!
Why free public transport is essential now
- Free Public Transport is a must to act as a pressure valve on those about to be swamped by an inflation spike generated by this war.
Working from home and lower speed limits as fuel relief
- Working from Home must be brought back where applicable.
- Reducing road speeds from 100km to 80km must also be on the table.
There are ways we can reduce the use of petrol right now, and we should be exploring those before the worst case scenarios occur.
It is not acceptable that Māori, Pasifika, the Disabled, Students, Beneficiaries, Pensioners and the working classes pay for an illegal war by America and Israel that they had no hand in making!
Why the free market won’t solve the fuel crisis
Waiting for the Free Market to solve this isn’t a solution!
Fuel shocks always hit hardest where there is the least room to absorb them. If the Government waits for the market to respond, the people paying the highest price will once again be those with the least.
Of course the ‘needy’, the already disadvantaged, the under-paid, will be expected to wear even MORE INCREASED COSTS, while the unscrupulous ‘greedy’, I’m alright Jack brigade, who have more than enough already, will coast through this dilemma pretending they can’t see the pain out there for so many. YES, free public transport, more EVs, car pooling, working from home, more soup kitchens, more donations from the ‘haves’ and much more kindness and help. We must not allow the smug to continue with this unfair, cruel, sadistic playing field any longer. The problem won’t go away if we ALL don’t pitch in.
NZ should lead the world and declare it is going oil free and convert the entire fleet to EVs. A one off wealth tax and compensatory tax against
corporates and particularly oil companies to help fund everyone ditching their gas guzzlers and set a good example for the planet! The sooner oil is irrelevant, the crazies in all sides less focused and empowered by it and the middle east less relevant, the better for us all and our survival.