The bed tax was not my idea, so don’t blame me, but here are some home truths: Wayne Brown

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says the debate over a proposed bed-night levy has been hijacked by politicians anxious about the coming election. He argues that the public deserves a clearer explanation of the measure, while distancing himself from the levy itself.

“These levies are everywhere around the world,” Brown writes, presenting the policy as neither unusual nor experimental. But he says the political argument around it has become dominated by slogans rather than a straightforward discussion of how the charge would work.

Brown also points to what he describes as an awkward gap in the debate: MPs do not pay the levies themselves. His article, framed as a set of “home truths,” calls for the proposal to be considered on its substance rather than through election-focused political messaging.

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These levies are everywhere around the world.