REVEALED: High-flying Governor-General rolling out the Royal treatment

The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, has spent $23,082.11 on London Heathrow Airport VIP facilitation charges since 2022.

Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman, James Ross, said:

“The Governor-General is already taking home $447,900 a year, plus an allowance of $40,551. Totalling almost seven times the median wage, no one can accuse Dame Cindy Kiro of being underpaid.”

“If the Governor-General needs the red carpet rolled out through airports on the far side of the world, is it too much to ask for her to pay for the VIP fast-tracking herself?”

“Most of us manage to carry our own bags through the airport every time we go abroad. An on-demand valet service isn't what many taxpayers would call an essential cost of travel.”

“Overseas travel is too often treated as a way of milking taxpayers for a splash of luxury. But that stings a little bit more when the person doing it already lives in a taxpayer-funded mansion.”