This is a tangent from BB Ply, but it looks like:
In the US we have Federal and State gasoline tax. In Ohio they total 0.464 USD/gal = 0.122 USD/Liter. If we figure the base fuel cost is the same around the world at 0.88-0.12 = 0.76 USD/L, then the penalty for each location looks like:
per Liter USD/Liter Local Tax % Tax
USA 0.88 $0.88 $0.12 13.6%
AU 1.50 $1.37 $0.61 44.5%
NZ 2.05 $1.60 $0.84 52.5%
GB 1.32 $2.01 $1.25 62.2% Keith said 68%, so there is some error in my analysis.
Far from exact, but maybe representative of the level of gov't intrusion into our finances. I wonder if this really goes deeper than just gasoline (petrol). Keith said everything in GB is higher - is that the effect of import tariffs, or is it just a gov't hand in your pocket?