August 5, 2025 Tory Relf

Taxpayer Update: 30,000 now Cap Rates Now 🎉 | Nicola Willis grows the public service 📈 | StatsNZ take ‘swag’ to the next level 🦹‍♂️

Good morning! Some good news: our Cap Rates now petition has hit 30,000 signatures! Massive thanks to everyone who has supported this campaign.

Also this week, DIA can't keep track of its results (what else is new?), StatsNZ accidentally built a reward scheme for being difficult, and some changes at the top here at the Taxpayers' Union (hint: a former Labour Minister of Revenue joins our board...).

30,000 sign up to Cap Rates Now campaign 👊

In just five weeks, we went from launching the campaign at Fieldays to having Simon Watts, Minister for Local Government, standing on a ute outside the LGNZ conference promising to have rates caps in place by Christmas.

If that doesn’t show you the power of your support, I don’t know what will. Thank you.

But the job isn’t done yet. We must keep the pressure on Watts and co to stick to their word.

We've won the politics, but now have to win the policy – on these things, the devil is always in the details.

Next step is to show that our campaign has backing and down the country: If you live on a busy road, get your banner here and let's ensure the politicians get the message loud and clear for the local body elections.

And if you missed out on one of our snazzy "Cap Rates Now" trucker caps at Fieldays – get yours now!

WTF?! Nicola Willis delivers... more bureaucrats 👀

The National Party talks a lot about 'delivering' for New Zealanders. And Nicola Willis is doing so. But not the value for money promised, apparently.

New numbers quietly released by the Public Service Commission last week show public service numbers are STILL higher than at the 2023 election.

Job losses in Wellington? Yeah, Right! 🫨

There have been piddly little announcements from various departments about so-called ‘cuts’ (that’s usually just code for not hiring replacement staff).

From the 'I thought we voted Labour out' file comes the news that, despite being tasked with ‘going for growth’, so far the only thing Nicola Willis has managed to grow is the size of the public service.

Quite literally, there are more bureaucrats currently employed in Wellington than when National took office 18 months ago.

You can read the (very small) amount of media coverage on the issue here.

With a structural deficit still baked into the Government’s books, taxpayers can’t afford a bloated bureaucracy and empty promises.

And with the official New Zealand Government Debt Clock ticking faster and faster steadily towards $300 billion (that’s more than $137,500 per household), we simply cannot keep going like this. Tick, tock, Mrs Willis...

StatsNZ rewards non-compliance with goody bags 🙉

Have you ever been a good, community-minded citizen and complied immediately with StatsNZ’s requests for information? Well, legally you have to.

Having to occasionally answer petty questions from a stats agency is a bit like jury service, or the legal requirement to enrol to vote. A pain, but part the parcel of being a citizen.

But, it turns out you may be better off ignoring Stats NZ's requests – at least for the first couple of goes.

The Taxpayers’ Union has revealed that StatsNZ are spending hundreds of thousands on 'gifts' and a reward scheme for those who break the law and don't complete Stats questionnaire, such as the household economic surveys.

If you had needed a little tempting into responding, you could have been in with a chance of receiving as part of the $338,000 spent in the last three years:

7,149 gift cards (worth $20 each, for a total of $143,000)
5,179 coffee mug packs (totalling $52,261)
Or notepads, pens, or fridge magnets, adding up to $93,533

This isn’t Stats NZ’s first time playing Santa with taxpayer money. Remember the Warriors tickets, fuel vouchers, and food cards in the line-up for the 2023 census? Seems Stats NZ officials like to reward un-civic behaviour rather than ensure the law is complied with.

Millions Spent, Zero Proof: The Campaign That Could Be Anything 😳

Our investigations team have also revealed that the Department of Internal Affairs’ Keep It Real Online campaign has cost taxpayers more than $4.3 million since 2020.

But that’s not all. Because do you know what they admitted to?

They have no idea of the impact of the campaign.

Yes. More than four million dollars, and no measurable outcomes were even assessed.

We’re told the ads reached ‘two-thirds of parents’, but reach means nothing without results.

Here at the Taxpayers' Union, we say Government advertising campaigns need to have a clearly defined objective, targets and measurable outcomes before launch (and millions spent).

But yet again, officials are ok with vague 'vibes' and video views.

When departments have millions for ad men, but can’t show results, maybe Ministers should be taking the hint that too much money is sloshing around public sector budgets...

Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance goes live 📺

Our friends and colleagues at the Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance are out the door with their first appearance on live TV👇

James talked earthquake strengthening (clearly his Mastermind specialist subject, call me impressed) and council mismanagement (also his expertise!).

If you’re a Wellington local, head over to Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance to join the movement fighting to improve Wellington's local councils.

Wellington cannot afford a second Tory Whanau or a Campbell Barry lookalike.

Gen Screwed goes wild (for democracy) 🐯🗳️

Speaking of Wellington local government, the Taxpayers' Union's on-campus wing, Generation Screwed are kicking off Wellington's mayoral debate series this Wednesday.

This Wednesday, Generation Screwed is throwing down with a mayoral debate at Vic Uni’s Pipitea campus, just a stone’s throw from the Beehive.

Alex Barker, Ray Chung, Andrew Little and the other contenders will be taking the stage. We’re putting real questions to real candidates, no spin, no fluff.

You don’t need to be a student to attend, just sign up here to grab a seat.Show up, speak up, and back the next generation of Taxpayers’ Union supporters.

Medical doctor and former Labour Party Cabinet Minister, join the Union 🎉

Former Minister of Revenue Stuart Nash and breast surgeon-turned property developer Dr John Harman have joined the Board of the Taxpayers' Union.

With increased polarisation in politics (which makes the job of the Taxpayers' Union much harder!) and the matters of politicisation of the IRD - Stu brings a valuable perspective to the team. Despite his Labour Party background, Stu was an early supporter of the Taxpayers' Union, writing a foreword to our first of many reports on corporate welfare under the John Key Government back in 2014.

Surgeon John Harman is best known for performing the first breast reconstruction surgery in New Zealand and setting up the country's first breast clinic. In more recent years, he has been a business leader and healthcare expert, and owns one of the major New Zealand residential solar companies.

You can read our Chair, Hon Ruth Richardson's comments to the media about the appointments here.

As ever, thanks for your support,

Have a great week.

Ps. The Cap Rates Now campaign is the first full campaign I’ve been involved in since I started at the Taxpayers’ Union just after Easter. I can hardly believe how impactful it’s been – except I can, because we have supporters like you. Thanks to you, we can continue to keep the government’s feet to the fire and get this legislation over the line. Thank you.

Pps. Keep an eye on your inbox towards the end of this week. Poll incoming... 😬

In the Media:

Bassett, Brash & Hide GRAHAM ADAMS: Peters and Seymour tussle over ‘Maorification’

Greymouth Star Westland rates rise fourth highest in benchmarking release

KiwiBlog Former Labour Minister joins Taxpayers’ Union Board

Northern Advocate NZ, Argentina take different economic paths

Gisbourne Herald Call to pull NZ out of Paris accord

RNZ Local body elections with Jonathan Milne

1News Transit ticketing project review: Wide-ranging recommendations

Otago Daily Times Reining in rates

Greymouth Star Two Mayoral Fights

Whakatane Beacon A mature conversation about unaffordable rates