The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling out the Reserve Bank of New Zealand for more than quadrupling its Auckland lease costs under former Governor Adrian Orr’s 10-year Britomart lease.
Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:
“Even after he’s gone, Taxpayers are once again forced to underwrite Orr’s empire-building at the Reserve Bank."
“6-figure golden handshakes, two and a half times more staff than 2018, and a $14.5 million fit-out for a half-empty luxury office in Auckland are just part of the former Governor’s legacy of waste.”
“The Reserve Bank has been the poster-child for government waste over the last seven years. Hopefully the incoming Governor can learn from her predecessor’s mistakes.”
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is praising Palmerston North City councillors who signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge for successfully removing unelected representatives from two council committees and is urging the full council to finish the job at Wednesday’s vote.
Between the first draft and current proposed committee structure, unelected appointees have been removed from the Sports & Recreation and Community Resilience & Sustainability Committees.
Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:
“This is a huge win for local democracy and a credit to the councillors who stood by their Ratepayer Protection Pledge. Ratepayers expect decisions about spending and local policy to be made by the people they voted for, not unelected appointees.”
“Unelected representatives have no democratic accountability, yet were being given influence over key decisions involving millions of dollars of public money. That’s simply not right.”
“With the vote on Wednesday, councillors have the chance to finish the job and ensure full democratic accountability to all committees. Those other councillors who believe in transparency and democracy must back the move to remove unelected members entirely.”
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Minister Willis to deliver full capital expensing to boost the economy following today’s figures showing unemployment at an eight-year high, with youth unemployment at 15%.
Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:
“More New Zealanders out of work is not a sign of a healthy economy, especially when combined with last month's GDP contraction. Minister Willis cannot simply talk about growth. If she wants more jobs and higher wages, she needs to back New Zealanders who create them.”
“Cutting wasteful spending and reducing taxes would send a clear signal that New Zealand is open for business again. You don’t solve unemployment by growing bureaucracy, you solve it by letting workers and employers keep more of what they earn so they can invest, hire, and build.”
“If Minister Willis is looking for inspiration, she needs to look no further than our report Going for Growth: Full Expensing of Capital Expenditure. Full capital‑expensing of new equipment and technology would unleash investment, lift productivity and create real jobs, and it’s right there in her hands.”