The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is questioning the value of the Arts Continuity Grant, a COVID-19 response fund which has so far paid out $16 million in grants to a variety of questionable short-term arts projects. Since March, Creative NZ has offered grants of up to $50,000 for ‘a short-term...
In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Research Officer Islay Aitchison interviews Tauranga City Councillor Kelvin Clout on dysfunctional Council culture and recall elections. They discuss the COVID-19 Government assistance Tauranga Council is hoping to receive for future infrastructure projects. You can subscribe to Taxpayer Talk via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google...
The following is an op-ed from Taxpayers' Union Campaigns Manager Louis Houlbrooke.Phil Twyford says he will build light rail in Auckland if Labour wins the next election. Of course, he promised exactly the same thing at the last election and, after spending two and a half years in discussions and $5 million of...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has released a new paper outlining a suite of proposals to lift economic growth and therefore reduce debt as a proportion of GDP. On current forecasts, government debt is set to reach $150,000 per New Zealand household. There are two ways to slay this debt...
Dear Supporter, I’m writing to you from the media and analyst “lock-up” where Treasury just presented its Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update. The Update, which the Public Finance Act requires of Treasury just prior to every election, lays bare the Government’s books and include the latest projections on debt, spending,...
New paper reveals how 'job creation' projects destroy jobs Too often, our politicians fall into the trap of thinking they can create jobs by piling on more and more government taxpayer spending. But if that were true, high-spending countries like Greece and Spain wouldn't be facing a decades-long employment crisis....
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One of the ways the Taxpayers' Union promote sensible restraint of government expenditure is by exposing and arguing for an end to corporate and union welfare.
We put the government – politicians, officials and taxpayer-funded groups on notice that taxpayer money should treated with care. We work hard to expose waste and extravagance paid for by the taxpayer.
We are New Zealanders who have formed a union to stand up for hardworking New Zealand taxpayers. We represent the common interests of all taxpayers and aim to become New Zealand's largest union.
We are not a political party, and we don't represent big business or special interests. Joining the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union only takes a few minutes and costs $25. Membership entitles you to attend our annual conference, AGM and other events, and to get regular communications from the Taxpayers' Union.
We rely on people just like you to support and donate to our cause to fight government waste. Our annual operating budget is currently smaller than the smallest trade union.
The Taxpayers' Union stands for value for money for government spending. We want our politicians spending money as if they'd worked as hard the taxpayers who earned it and argue that new taxes should only be introduced when there are equal decreases in other taxes. We believe in a fair and efficient tax system. We are not a political party, nor are we aligned to any.
We promote sensible restraint of government expenditure by:
Joining the Taxpayers' Union costs only $25 and entitles you to attend our annual conference, AGM and other events.
With your support we can make the Taxpayers' Union a strong voice exposing waste and standing up for Kiwi taxpayers.
Often the best information comes from those inside the public service or local government. We guarantee your anonymity and your privacy.
