National leader John Key says comments by his transport spokesman that motorists could face tolls of $3 a trip on roads built under a National government are "premature".
In August National's transport spokesman Maurice Williamson got into trouble for saying people would be happy to pay $5 each way on a toll road - which equated to $50 a working week.
At the time Mr Key described the MP as "excitable" and said tolls were more likely to be around $2.
On RadioLIVE today, Mr Williamson added a dollar.
"Of course the answer to that is it depends on which road," he said.
"If it is quite a short distance road of a few kilometres, somewhere in the city-type link, you'd only be talking of $1 or $2. If it's a very long haul road you may be talking of $3.
"Those are the sorts of numbers."
But Mr Key again shot down Mr Williamson's figures.
"I haven't really seen the context of his comments, but there is no point in us making comment about what price a toll road will be because we haven't even identified what road would be tolled so it is far too premature to be talking about numbers."
Miss Clark said the $30 a week cost to a daily commuter of a $3 a trip charge was high.
"I guess $30 a week in tolls is twice what they promised the worker on the average wage without children by way of a tax cut and five times what they promised the worker on the average wage with children by way of a tax cut, so it very much looks like a case of giveth with one had and take away with the other."
Miss Clark has previously talked about a $2 level being acceptable on some new roads, but today said Labour was yet to decide exactly what level was tolerable.
NZPA
source: newshub archive
