Phil Goff

Wellington, March 5 NZPA - Labour has defended the $30,000 cost to the taxpayer of its "Axe the Tax" bus trip around the country -- protesting GST increases.

The two week bus trip, protesting against the Government's proposal to increase GST from 12.5 to 15 percent, was the cheapest way to get around the country to push the message on an issue that affected everybody, Labour leader Phil Goff said.

It was a fraction of the $200,000 bill to the taxpayer for brochures Prime Minister John Key sent out to households last month to defend his party's new national standards policy for schools, he told the New Zealand Herald.

"GST is a universal issue and I make no apologies at all about value for money. What do people expect from their MPs? They expect them to get off their bums and do their job. And getting out there by bus is hardly extravagant."

Mr Goff said it would cost a lot more for MPs to use Crown cars for such an exercise.

The $30,000 included the bus charter, the signage -- the bus features a red "skin" with Axe the Tax signage and Labour logos -- and other material such as signs and balloons.

It was paid for by Mr Goff's parliamentary leader's office fund. Under Parliament's funding rules, MPs can use public funds to communicate their policies and messages to the voters.