Now there's a political move by unions and employers to try to postpone or abolish that excise tax.
Peter Costello's reckless and populist decision to abolish fuel excise indexation in 2001 cost the budget around $42bn.
The proposal abolishes the excise taxes on gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuels and provides certain limitations on the federal government's authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, including EPA regulations of stationary sources but not including vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards.
In March 1980, it had abolished Vehicle Excise Duty for electric vehicles and by the start of 1983, the Department of Transport was working on legislation that would introduce a new category of vehicle – the "electrically assisted pedal cycle".
Because the Curbelo proposal abolishes the fuel excise tax, it leads to small changes in transportation fuel prices and GHG emissions in that sector.
In what Labour described as a "bribes Budget", Mr Lawson cut the basic rate of income tax by 2% to 27%, froze excise duties, abolished the tax on on-course betting, cut the duty on unleaded petrol and further reduced so-called "death duties".
No amount of playing games will do; nothing less than full recognition of Israel's right to exist in safety and abolishing the Charter and excising its anti-Semitism as it stands completely; nothing less will do.
Ringfencing of vehicle excise duty for roads was abolished in 1936.
At the same time, vehicle excise duty [VED] would be abolished for the greenest cars.
A property tax on first houses, abolished by Mr Berlusconi, was reintroduced, higher excise was slapped on petrol and the government tucked away a possible 2% rise in value-added tax next September.
Among other taxes, corporation tax, national insurance, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, council tax, business rates, the television licence fee, the apprenticeship levy, stamp duties, alcohol duties, tobacco duties, vehicle excise duty and air passenger duty should be abolished".
