'Arrogant' fuel companies have government and Inside Parliament on their case over soaring petrol prices

For Inside Parliament's most recent chat, hosts Corin Dann, Katie Bardford and Andrea Vance reviewed the country's soaring petrol prices.  

New Zealand motorists have gone from paying some of the lowest prices for petrol to some of the highest over a nine-year period - and nobody knows why.

A recent report by Andrea Vance showed the government had little power over the fuel companies in this matter and that unless those companies released information voluntarily on why motorists are being over-charged, the government will have to give more power to the Commerce Commission to go after them.

But, it would still take the Commerce Commision up to three years to attain the information.

"The very arrogance of the fuel companies - that they feel that they don't have to front up with all the information," said a fired-up Ms Vance.

Mr Dann looked at the wider picture of where the New Zealand dollar is sitting and unrest in the Middle East but the hosts agreed that none of that was hugely impacting the current fuel prices, still leaving the question of why on everybodies lips.  

To listen to Inside Parliament on Soundcloud, click here.