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Opportunity Wants To Bring Back The Fart Tax
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling out Opportunity’s proposed methane trading scheme for what it is, a new tax on New Zealand farmers.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, Rhys Hurley, said:“This is the fart tax rising from the dead. Farmers fought it off once, and now Opportunity wants to bring it back...
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Taxpayer Manifesto Sets Five Bottom Lines For Next Government
The Taxpayers’ Union has today launched its Taxpayer Manifesto 2026, setting out five bottom lines it wants every political party seeking to form the next Government to address.The manifesto is designed as both an election checklist and a starting point for coalition negotiations after 7 November.Taxpayers’ Union Executive...
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Weak GDP growth requires fiscal discipline
Commenting on today’s announcement that GDP grew 0.2 percent in the June quarter, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Austin Ellingham-Banks said:“0.2 percent growth is better than contraction, but after 0.8 percent last quarter it is a sharp slowdown. With population growing 0.17 percent over the quarter, GDP per person was...
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Watts’ Bill fails to fix local government
The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the Government for passing the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill, saying it fails to fix the problems it was meant to address.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“Either the Government has been run over by officials who opposed fixing the problems from the...
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Bribe-O-Meter Week 2: Labour and Opportunity spend big, while Greens go to ground
Bribe-O-Meter Week 2: Labour and Opportunity spend big, while Greens go to groundLabour has topped the second week of the Taxpayers’ Union’s Bribe-O-Meter, announcing around $421 million of new spending commitments, while most parties have kept their powder dry.Labour’s promise to increase KiwiSaver employer contributions and continue contributions...
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Labour’s Price Gouging Plan Ignores the Cause
Labour’s plan to outlaw excessive prices risks regulating the symptom instead of fixing the lack of competition causing it, says Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Rhys Hurley:“Labour is right that New Zealand has serious competition problems. But if businesses can sustain excessive prices because competitors aren’t challenging them, the answer...
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Willis talks bracket creep: here’s what the tax brackets should be
Responding to Nicola Willis’s comments that National will address bracket creep, the Taxpayers’ Union says the 30 percent income tax threshold should already be $56,801.95 and the 33 percent threshold $82,920.23. The figures come from the our briefing paper The Inflation Tax, which shows where income tax thresholds would sit...
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Greens can’t keep hiding behind Parliamentary secrecy
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick to waive the secrecy afforded to her under Parliament’s OIA carve-out and release the Parliamentary Library costings behind the party’s $1.3 billion KiwiMart acquisition claim.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“The Greens’ KiwiMart numbers clearly don’t add up....
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Watts makes bad Local Government Bill worse
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Government’s move to strip unelected Independent Māori Statutory Board members of voting powers, but says its latest Amendment Paper will kill off councillors’ ability to govern effectively.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“Council voting rights should belong to people elected by ratepayers. The...
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Why does it cost $50,000 to remove a bureaucrat?
The Taxpayers’ Union is questioning why taxpayers are being hit with massive redundancy bills just to reduce an already bloated public service.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“An average redundancy payout of $52,500 is an extraordinary golden goodbye. Taxpayers should not have to fork out half a year’s average...
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Soaring borrowing costs require election promise rethink
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on political parties to reconsider costly election promises after 10-year Government bond yields climbed above five percent.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“With bond yields now five times higher than they were five years ago, the era of cheap debt is over. Every extra...
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Who Needs Another Layer of Arts Bureaucracy? Time to Scrap Creative NZ
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling for Creative New Zealand to be abolished after the agency revealed plans to hand responsibility for distributing up to $40 million a year to a new network of regional organisations.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, Rhys Hurley, said:“Creative NZ has accidentally designed the case for its...
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Labour taxes jobs instead of fixing Super
Labour’s KiwiSaver policy would make employing New Zealanders more expensive while dodging the growing cost of Super altogether, says Taxpayers’ Union Policy Analyst Austin Ellingham-Banks:“Super is forecast to cost taxpayers $12,790-per-household this year, with costs expected to almost triple by 2048. That is the retirement problem politicians should be...
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Taxpayer Update: Election debates return 🗳️ | Who costed CommieMart? 📚 | ACT takes aim at the carbon tax 🏭
Hi,Before we get into this week's Taxpayer Update, a big thank you for all the feedback on our 2026 Election Bribe-O-Meter.We can see from the web traffic (and the social media posts) that it is already proving popular. 🙌Two political parties have also been in touch to clarify various policy...
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Taxpayer Talk: Grover Norquist on No New Taxes and holding politicians to it
This week, Jordan is joined by Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform and the man behind the original Taxpayer Protection Pledge, to talk about how a simple promise not to raise taxes became one of the most powerful forces in American conservative politics.With both National and...
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REVEALED: NZ First Welfare Stand-Down Will Save Millions In Auckland Alone
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming New Zealand First’s policy to introduce a 10-year welfare stand-down period for visa holders, with an Official Information Act request showing that this policy would save at least $19.19 million in Auckland Metro alone.New Zealand First’s policy would make all non-citizens ineligible for...
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Justice Committee backs scrapping postal voting
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Justice Committee’s call for urgent reform of local election voting, saying the Government must act now to protect confidence in our democracy.Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson, Tyler Groenewald, said:“The Justice Committee has called postal voting ‘no longer fit for purpose’. That should be the...
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Surging OIA Complaints Show Need for Armchair Audits
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling for councils and government agencies to proactively publish their spending online following another increase in complaints to the Ombudsman over information requests.Taxpayers’ Union Investigative Lead, Rhys Hurley, said:“Complaints against government agencies have risen again to 1,244 in just six months, while complaints against...
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2026 Election "Bribe-O-Meter" Launched
After a nine year absence, the Taxpayers’ Union has relaunched its policy costing "Bribe-O-Meter" for the 2026 election, with the first update showing the Greens have already promised $114,139 per household in new spending.The Bribe-O-Meter is the most comprehensive independent policy costing project undertaken in New Zealand. It cuts through the...
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Winding Up Waitangi Tribunal Saves Taxpayers Millions
Welcoming ACT’s policy to complete outstanding historical Treaty claims and disestablish the Waitangi Tribunal once that work is finished, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“ACT’s plan would still allow the remaining historical claims to be completed, while ending contemporary inquiries that drag taxpayers into costly legal fights over...
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PSA STRIKE: Higher-Paid Public Servants Down Tools for Even Higher Pay
The Taxpayers' Union is calling out public servants earning an average of $103,300 a year for going on strike for more pay, despite already being paid $17,600 more than the average private sector worker.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Rhys Hurley said:“It takes a certain amount of nerve to earn $17,600...
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Deloitte recycled our homework - ratepayers must get a refund
The Taxpayers’ Union says Wellington ratepayers deserve their money back after Deloittecharged $435,000 for a report containing major errors.Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tyler Groenewald said:“Charging $435,000 for a report, getting the numbers wrong, then refusing to commit to a refund is quite the business model.“Deloitte used figures from an...
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Tourism funding boost means no excuse to delay rates cap
Responding to National’s announcement that it will redirect International Visitor Levy revenue to councils rather than introduce a bed tax, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“National has shown what we have been saying all along: councils do not need a bed tax or a rates hike to deal...
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Labour breaks ‘one new tax’ promise again with ETS hike
Chris Hipkins has once again failed to stick to his “one new tax” promise, with Labour now proposing to deliberately drive up the carbon price through the ETS.Taxpayers’ Union Policy Analyst Austin Ellingham-Banks said:“Hipkins has spent weeks insisting that capital gains tax is the only new tax Labour...
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Voters from the afterlife show postal voting has to go
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union says allegations of widespread ballot theft and fraudulent voting in Manurewa show why local elections should move to in-person voting.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, James Ross, said:“A letter box will never be as secure as a ballot box. Democratic accountability depends on elections being fair...
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Speaker must explain dodgy CommieMart costing and taxpayer-funded Green electioneering
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Speaker to intervene over the Parliamentary Library’s extraordinarily low costing of the Greens’ plan to nationalise 120 supermarkets and two distribution centres.The Greens' policy announcement cites a Parliamentary Library estimate for their claimed acquisition cost of just $1.3 billion, before another $1.5 billion...
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Taxpayer Update: NEW POLL Labour, Opportunity take a tumble 📉 | Chlöe's CommieMart 🤡 | LGNZ employs bogus rates-cap numbers 🧮
Dear Supporter,It was a huge weekend in terms of election policy - and it's also a big Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll, hot off the press.Two months out from the election and it looks like Opportunity’s, well, opportunity, may have passed. Both National and Labour slump - Labour plummets this month...
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ACT right to stop exporting Kiwi jobs with carbon tax
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming ACT’s plan to reform New Zealand’s climate policy, including cutting the carbon tax, returning ETS revenue to households and protecting Kiwi businesses competing against overseas producers with lower carbon costs.Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman, Rhys Hurley, said:“ACT is recognising pushing production offshore to countries with...
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Greens’ CommieMart plan won't fix supermarket competition
Responding to the Greens’ plan for a publicly owned supermarket chain, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“This is looking less like KiwiMart and more like CommieMart. Seizing firms’ assets whether they want to sell or not will obviously send would-be investors running for the hills.”“New York is already...
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National’s first-home policy pumps demand, not supply
Responding to National’s plan to expand access to 5 percent deposit First Home Loans, Taxpayers’ Union Policy Analyst Austin Ellingham-Banks said:“National has spent years correctly arguing that New Zealand’s housing crisis is a supply problem. So why is it now trying to fix it by pumping up demand...
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REVEALED: ACT’s infrastructure policy could cut millions in cultural contracting costs
At least $15.8 million has been spent on iwi and hapū resourcing, cultural monitoring, advisory roles and artwork across just three major transport projects, information obtained by the Taxpayers’ Union reveals.The figures come as ACT today announced a transport policy aimed at stripping ethnicity-based requirements from infrastructure procurement.Official...
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Bayly right to break the Super taboo
Responding to Andrew Bayly’s call to raise the Superannuation age, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“Bayly is right to put this on the table. Keeping the age at 65 forever while Super costs keep climbing is not credible.”“Our Back to Black report found raising the eligibility age to 68 by...
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Taxpayer Talk: Jordan Williams and Oliver Hartwich on MMP Gaming and Overhang Chaos
Te Pāti Māori’s call for supporters to split their votes has put one of MMP’s strangest quirks back in the spotlight: overhang seats, strategic voting, and whether parties can game the system to change who forms the next government.Jordan is joined by Oliver Hartwich from the New Zealand...
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Billboards to turn up heat on Roche as Blakeley campaign goes public
The Taxpayers’ Union will tomorrow launch billboards on Whitmore Street, in view of the Beehive, and Bunny Street as pressure grows on Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche over his refusal to front up on Nic Blakeley’s rejected resignation.The billboards will put the accountability question directly in front...
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Record-low drinking strengthens case for cutting alcohol tax
In response to new figures showing alcohol consumption has fallen to record lows, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“As consumption is falling sharply, particularly among young people, the Government must reassess whether current excise rates can still be justified.”“With drinking at record lows and the hospitality sector already...
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Labour’s living wage pledge means fewer jobs or higher taxes
Responding to Labour leader Chris Hipkins’ pledge to extend the living wage to all state sector workers, Taxpayers’ Union Policy Analyst Austin Ellingham-Banks said:“Labour wants to pile another cost onto an already-bloated public-sector wage bill. Higher payroll costs have to be paid for through higher taxes, fewer jobs...
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Ratepayers deserve maximum value from $2m property purchase
The Taxpayers’ Union is questioning Horowhenua District Council’s decision to give iwi and hapū first right of refusal over six council-owned Oxford Street properties.Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tyler Groenewald said:“These properties were bought using $2 million of taxpayer-funded Better Off grants. When they are sold, the council’s job should be to...
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Reserve Bank hike shows why Labour’s spending plans are dangerous
Responding to the Reserve Bank’s decision to raise the Official Cash Rate by 25 basis points to 2.75 percent, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“Another OCR hike is a reminder that governments cannot spend their way to prosperity. Excessive government spending helped fuel inflation, and taxpayers are still...
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Roche breaks own promise for transparency on Blakeley resignation
After promising to answer questions by the end of Monday, Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche has still not addressed basic questions about his controversial decision to keep the Parliamentary liar Nic Blakeley as the boss at MBIE.Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said, “In an email on...
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Farmers Slugged With NAIT Tax Hike
The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming OSPRI’s levy hike on farmers to fund a new National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) system.Taxpayers’ Union Investigative Lead, Rhys Hurley, said:“Farmers already have to wrestle with a notoriously difficult system, riddled with stories of its failures over the years. Now they’re being...
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Strike from home, or strike for real?
The Taxpayers’ Union says next week’s planned strike by nearly 10,000 public servants will be the real test of whether Fleur Fitzsimons can actually put bums on seats.Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:“Last time MBIE had a strike — dubbed as as ‘huge’ by the Public Service Association, we turned...
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REVEALED: WINZ’s $236 Million Bond Grant Black Hole
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that the Ministry of Social Development approved 155,103 rental bond grants worth $236,121,897 since 2023, but cannot report the total debt repaid.MSD refused to provide repayment and write-off data, saying it would require substantial manual collation from individual client files.Taxpayers’ Union Investigative Lead,...
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Taxpayer Update: Rates cap win 🧢 | Labour’s tax promise unravels already 💸 | $236m WINZ black hole 🕳️
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Taxpayer Talk: Paul Henry on ACT, Tax Cuts, and Taking an Axe to Wellington
In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams is joined by broadcaster-turned-ACT candidate Paul Henry for a lively, wide-ranging conversation on the campaign, the state of the centre-right, and why he thinks this election is too important to sit out.From ACT’s push for smaller government and lower taxes...
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Labour Can’t Spend The Same Health Money Twice
The Taxpayers’ Union is demanding Labour explain how its promise to guarantee jobs for every graduate nurse will be funded without money already promised elsewhere.Taxpayers’ Union Investigative Lead, Rhys Hurley, said:“Labour needs to remember the first rule of an election: you can’t spend the same money twice.”“If this...
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Labour’s Premier House Transparency Calls Hollow Till It Backs Opening Parliamentary Books
The Taxpayers’ Union says Labour is close to hitting the nail on the head with its calls for greater transparency over spending on Premier House, but must now commit the same principle to Parliament itself.Taxpayers’ Union Investigative Lead Rhys Hurley, said:“Labour is right that taxpayers shouldn’t have to...
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Taxpayer Update: Rates cap win 🧢 | Labour’s tax promise already unravels 💸 | $236m WINZ black hole 🕳️
Dear Supporter,A mixed bag this week. On Sunday National recommitted to no new taxes (yay!), ACT unveiled its plan to put Parliament back in charge (stop courts stepping over the line), Labour released its, errr, "fiscal strategy" (i.e. even bigger government) and we had a major win on...
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Roche must front up over Blakeley ‘resignation'
The Taxpayers’ Union is demanding Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche front up over Nic Blakeley’s rejected resignation, after widespread speculation that Nic Blakeley offered his resignation knowing that it would not be accepted.The Union has today written to Sir Brian seeking the communications and timeline surrounding Mr...
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LGNZ's bogus $34 rates cap claim blown apart by new analysis
New Taxpayers’ Union analysis shows the average household could save around $391 a year under the Government’s rates cap, more than eleven times the $34 claimed by Local Government New Zealand.Taxpayers’ Union Head of Policy James Ross said:“LGNZ told ratepayers a rates cap would save them just $34...
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LGNZ Need to Release Their Bogus Rates Cap Maths, media release
A rates cap could save your household $390.79 a year on average over the next seven years. Local Government New Zealand says the Government’s rates cap would save households just $34 a year. That figure is wrong.We asked LGNZ to show us how they arrived at it. They wouldn’t, or...
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New Poll: Kiwis reject Opportunity push to raise Youth Court age
New Taxpayers’ Union–Curia polling shows New Zealanders firmly reject extending the Youth Court beyond its current upper age of 17, with 64 percent opposed and just 22 percent in support.Opportunity is campaigning to raise the Youth Court age, but even its own voters are against it. Three-quarters of...
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MBIE's lying chief executive, Nic Blakeley, must go
If integrity, honesty, and accountability are to mean a thing in the public service, MBIE chief executive Nic Blakeley needs to go after he was found to have deliberately misled Parliament, says the Taxpayers’ Union.Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:“Nic Blakeley deliberately misled Parliament. In other words,...
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Don’t hike fuel tax while infrastructure fund is wasted
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to scrap January’s planned 12-cent fuel tax hike before Cabinet’s decision deadline on Monday.Taxpayers’ Union spokeswoman, Ella Dickson, said:“Before asking motorists for more, the Government should look at where its existing infrastructure money is going. If it can find $68.5...
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Southland Referendum Gets It Right: Now Let Every Ratepayer Decide on Amalgamation
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming confirmation that Southlanders will get the final say on any council reorganisation plan and is calling for every council involved in the Government’s Head Start programme to make the same commitment.Taxpayers’ Union Investigative Lead Rhys Hurley said:“Whether amalgamation is a good...
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After a year without policy, Te Pāti Māori delivers a tax grab
Responding to Te Pāti Māori’s newly released tax policy, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“Te Pāti Māori has spent most of the year seemingly allergic to policy, and after all that time this is what they have come up with: five new taxes.“Apparently one or two new taxes...
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Scrapping Climate Change Commission would be a win for taxpayers
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming ACT’s renewed commitment to scrap the Climate Change Commission, three years after first backing its abolition.Taxpayers’ Union spokeswoman, Ella Dickson, said:“This would be a huge win for taxpayers. We backed scrapping the Commission in 2023 and are pleased ACT has stuck with it.“Taxpayers...
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LGNZ caught using dodgy maths to downplay rates cap savings
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling out Local Government New Zealand for misleading ratepayers about how much they stand to save under a rates cap.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams said:“LGNZ claims the average household would save just $34 a year under a four-percent rates cap. That is flat-out wrong....
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REVEALED: WINZ’s $236 Million Bond Grant Black Hole
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that through Work and Income NZ, the Ministry of Social Development approved 155,103 rental bond grants worth $236,121,897 since 2023, but cannot report the total debt repaid.MSD refused to provide repayment and write-off data, saying it would require substantial manual collation from individual...
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Aussie tobacco tax cuts would cut crime and save lives
Responding to Australian political parties competing to slash tobacco excise to undercut the black market, with One Nation proposing a 75 percent cut and the Liberal-National Coalition reportedly considering an 80 percent cut, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“Across the ditch, political parties are racing each other to...
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Next step is getting councils back to basics
Responding to today’s announcement of rates cap legislation, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said the next step is stopping council waste at the source.“Capping rates is a major victory for ratepayers nationwide, who cannot afford another term of 34 percent rates hikes. But limiting how much councils can...
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Government’s rates cap a campaign win for ratepayers
The Taxpayers’ Union is celebrating a major policy victory after the Government announced council rates increases will be capped from 1 July 2029.Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“This is a huge win for ratepayers. More than 31,000 New Zealanders backed our Cap Rates Now campaign, and the Government has listened.”“We...
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Hipkins’ ‘only one new tax’ promise 'gone by lunchtime’
The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Chris Hipkins for suggesting that bed taxes could be introduced under a potential Labour-led coalition, just hours after insisting Labour would introduce only one new tax.Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“Chris Hipkins’ ‘only one new tax’ promise didn’t even make it to dinner.“This morning,...
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Taxpayer Update: NZ on Air’s $500k encore 🎸 | TWO Taxpayer Heroes this week 🦸♂️
Happy Saturday,It's been another busy week. Let's get into it.Common sense prevails: TWO Taxpayer Heroes in one week! 🦸♂️💥Firstly, in a move designed to make us fall out of our chairs, someone in the Wellington bubble made a good decision this week.Taxpayer Hero Brooke van Velden has stopped Internal Affairs...
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Welcome home, National: No new taxes pledge a win for taxpayers
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming National’s U-turn and unequivocal commitment to “no new taxes”, calling it a victory for taxpayers and common sense. Taxpayers’ Union Spokesperson Tory Relf said:“Welcome home, National. This is exactly where the party of lower taxes should be.“Just a few weeks ago, Nicola Willis...
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ACT right to rein in judges and protect taxpayers’ property
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming ACT’s plan to put property rights into the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, saying taxpayers need stronger protection from governments that treat private property as theirs to tax, regulate, or confiscate at will.Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:“Property rights are the...
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Labour fiscal 'strategy' shows they learned nothing from COVID
The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Labour’s fiscal strategy of locking-in Covid-era levels of government spending as 'fiscal and economic sabotage'.Responding to Barbara Edmond's "fiscal strategy" Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said:“Labour's pledge to keep core Crown expenses around 33 percent of GDP is a recipe for New...
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Taxpayers' Update: 🎶 Singing on your dime | 🙃 $36k for "accountability" | 💸 Te Pāti Māori's broken promise
Hi Supporter,This week, the team have uncovered millions being spent on public servants singing on the clock, found out Dunedin ratepayers have paid $36,000 to discover that “accountability” is a good thing (no ... Sherlock!), and Labour has misplaced yet another tax policy.Meanwhile, the Greens are flirting with price...
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Taxpayer Talk: Simon Court on the RMA shakedown holding NZ hostage
In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams is joined by ACT’s infrastructure and resource management spokesman Simon Court to take aim at the planning rules he says are stopping New Zealand from building the homes, roads, ports, quarries, power lines, and infrastructure we desperately need.From eye-watering consent...
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Government Must Ban Public Sector Golden Handshakes
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to ban settlement payouts across councils and government agencies following the Chatham Islands Council’s $100,000 payment to disgraced former Chief Executive Paul Eagle.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, Rhys Hurley, said:“How on Earth can someone whose conduct prompted their employer to...
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Unwinding 9 months of bloat is not “generational harm”
Public Service Association National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons’ claims that the Opportunity’s plans to remove 2,000 bureaucrats would ‘harm public services for generations’.Responding, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said:“Between June 2025 and March 2026, the public service grew by 1,881 bureaucrats. There are still 17,284 more bureaucrats today than before...
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Fletcher’s $228m profit exposes $60m taxpayer stitch-up
Fletcher Building has posted a $228 million net profit, just one month after the Government handed its Golden Bay Cement subsidiary a $60 million taxpayer bailout.Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Levi Gibbs said:“Taxpayers were told this handout was needed to keep Golden Bay Cement afloat. A month later, its corporate...
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Will New Plymouth's $25m art collection finally deliver value to ratepayers?
The Taxpayers’ Union is backing New Plymouth Mayor Max Brough’s push to unlock value from the council’s $25 million art collection, after he took aim at its mounting costs.Taxpayers’ Union spokeswoman, Ella Dickson, said:“While New Plymouth ratepayers are struggling, their council is sitting on $25 million worth of...
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REVEALED: ACT's Banning Of Public Service Waiata To Save An Estimated $3.5 Million Per Year
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that at least 9 public service agencies are running hours of waiata and karakia practice each week.Using a conservative estimate that just ten percent of staff at each agency participate, and applying the average public service hourly salary of $49.66 over 8,680 hours per...
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Labour Must Rule Out The Inflation Tax
The Taxpayers’ Union says that if Labour is ruling out the Ute Tax and a streaming tax, it should also rule out the inflation tax.Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tyler Groenewald said:“Labour says it is campaigning on only one new tax - its capital gains tax. But without indexing tax...
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Lyttelton Port Company needs full disclosure
Responding to claims that Lyttelton Port Company has kept workers “out of the loop” on its $800 million upgrade plans, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“If LGOIMA applied to Lyttelton Port Company, workers, unions and Christchurch ratepayers could all have used it to demand information about the $800...
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Breadlines are back on the menu
Responding to the Green Party's proposed open-ended supermarket price controls, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“There are two ways to ration scarce goods like food: prices or queues. The Greens seem determined to give Kiwis a refresher course in what a breadline looks like.”“New Zealand’s grocery rort is...
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Taxpayer Update: $303k climate junket ✈️ | Labour’s ChatGPT subsidy 🤖 | Ferry gravy train ⛴️
Dear Supporter,The week that was: National Party psychodrama, while Opportunity stalking horse continues 👀What a week.While Wellington has been consumed by the National Party's attempt to blow the arms off its own leader – only for the whole thing to blow up in Chris Penk's face – we've...
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ACT show you don’t need to mash the ‘new tax’ button
Responding to ACT’s Local Tourism Dividend policy, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“ACT have done what National wouldn’t: ruled out new taxes while finding a way to give councils more of the upside from tourism, not just the costs."“Using existing tourism funding to reward councils for attracting visitors...
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REVEALED: Climate bureaucrats burn $303,000 jet-setting to Brazil’s COP30 junket
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through Official Information Act requeststhat the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry for Primary Industries and the Ministry for the Environment spent $303,026.78 sending 17 staff to the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.Key facts:-The Ministry...
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Labour kneecaps investment, then subsidises ChatGPT
Responding to Labour’s announcement of millions more in taxpayer funding for AI adoption and start-ups, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Austin Ellingham-Banks said:“Labour has slapped ‘AI’ on an old-fashioned corporate welfare scheme for American Big Tech and called it innovation."“Businesses already have every incentive to invest in AI if it...
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What does Opportunity know that Treasury doesn’t?
Responding to Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong saying she would allow net core Crown debt to exceed Treasury’s prudent debt limit of 50 percent of GDP, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“By Opportunity’s own claims, its tax package would cost New Zealanders more than $1,800 per household a year....
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National needs to stick to 2023 ‘No New Taxes’ pledge
Responding to comments from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Newstalk ZB this morning, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman Austin Ellingham-Banks said:“If the Prime Minister cannot clearly articulate his party’s tax position less than three months out from the election, he should go back to the promise National made to voters...
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ACT’s ‘no new taxes’ pledge puts pressure on National to make the same promise
The Taxpayers’ Union welcomes ACT’s unequivocal commitment to no new taxes and is calling on National to do the same.Taxpayers’ Union spokeswoman, Ella Dickson, said:“National’s ‘no new taxes on working people’ fudge is already falling flat, with the Prime Minister unable to tell Kiwis what their tax bill...
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EXCLUSIVE POLLING: National voters demand a no-tax-hikes promise
The latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Issue Poll shows National voters overwhelmingly want the party to draw a clear line in the sand on tax: 58 percent of voters want National to promise no new taxes or tax increases, compared to just 25 percent who oppose.76 percent of National voters...
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Nothing new in National’s fiscal rules – but ‘no new taxes’ promise conspicuously absent
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the direction of National’s newly announced “Budget Responsibility Rules”, but says there is nothing new in the fiscal targets and is calling on National to come clean about what taxes it plans to hike.Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:“There is nothing new...
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Taxpayer Update: New poll 📊 | Winston's baby bonus 💸 | Bureaucrat sickies 🤒 | $300k for kapa haka "research" 🤦
Hi,Today marks three months until the election, and the silly season has well begun. It even snowed in Wellington!This week, we look at whether NZ First’s $400 million proposed 'baby bonus' is likely to work, expose who in the government is pulling sickies, and why the Nats need...
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Jordan Williams to stand down from Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers' Union has confirmed that co-founder and Executive Director Jordan Williams will be standing down as a result of the Prime Minister's announcement of a referendum on MMP.On the passage of the referenda legislation - expected next year, if National is returned to Government - Mr Williams...
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Labour fudges fiscal drag fix
Labour has today announced plans to raise the GST registration threshold from $60,000 to $80,000. Commenting, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“The GST registration threshold was last adjusted in 2009. If it kept pace with inflation, it would now sit at $92,477. Partial relief is better than none.”“It...
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Labour doubles down on New Zealand’s productivity crisis
Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Labour’s plan to axe Investment Boost, warning it would discourage business investment and make New Zealand’s productivity crisis even worse.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“New Zealand’s stagnant productivity is the rot behind our squeezed wages, weak growth, and increasingly unaffordable superannuation, healthcare, and other...
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Taxpayer Victory, with a Twist: Four More on Gardening Leave
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Government’s rapid review of the Ministry of Justice, after new information revealed the Russell Harrison scandal is not the only case of its kind within the Ministry.An Official Information Act request by the Taxpayers’ Union reveals the Ministry currently has four employees...
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National Party Must Repay Cost of Fundraiser Flight
Responding to New Zealand Herald reporting that the Prime Minister took a taxpayer-funded flight after attending a National Party fundraiser, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“We hope the National Party’s fundraiser was a success, because it should now use the proceeds to repay taxpayers for the cost of...
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11-year unemployment high demands fiscal reset
Responding to unemployment reaching its highest level in 11 years, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“Unemployment at an 11-year high is a clear warning that stronger business confidence has yet to translate into jobs, particularly for young New Zealanders.”“Monetary policy cannot do all the heavy lifting. The Government...
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REVEALED: Health NZ spent nearly half a million dollars on single ad campaign
Health New Zealand spent $490,043.75 on a single advert featuring former Lotto presenter Russell Harrison, documents obtained by the Taxpayers’ Union reveal for the first time.Harrison, who remained suspended from the Ministry of Justice on full pay for years, was paid $3,000 to appear in the 30-second advertisement.Taxpayers’...
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Labour can’t have their cake and eat it with CGT
Responding to comments from Labour MP Helen White that she wants house prices to fall, the Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Labour to explain how that squares with its capital gains tax and spending promises.Taxpayers’ Union spokeswoman, Ella Dickson, said:“Labour need to make their minds up. Do they...
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Public service diversity bureaucracy is a taxpayer-funded vanity project
The Taxpayers’ Union says the public service should immediately freeze its expanded diversity plan until it can prove existing initiatives have delivered a single measurable benefit to taxpayers.Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“MBIE has recently presided over catastrophic project failures, blown budgets and appalling financial controls. Its priority...
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Mike Hosking is right: Human Rights Commission has lost its way
The Taxpayers’ Union is backing Mike Hosking’s criticism of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) after it opposed the Government’s proposed changes to Treaty clauses across 19 pieces of legislation.Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said:“Mike Hosking is right. The Human Rights Commission has lost its way. Instead of defending...
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PSA must release legal advice behind political campaign
The Taxpayers’ Union is demanding the Public Service Association immediately publish the legal advice it claims gave the green light for its “Change the Government” campaignto be distributed through ministry offices and public service workplaces.Taxpayers' Union spokeswoman, Ella Dickson, said:“The PSA told public servants to ‘change the government’...
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PSA crosses the line with anti-government workplace campaign
Responding to Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche directing the Public Service Association to remove its “Change the Government” campaign material from public service workplaces, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:“The PSA’s politics are no secret, but using supposedly neutral public service workplaces to campaign for the Government’s...
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Let Wellington ratepayers decide amalgamation
Any proposal to amalgamate Wellington’s councils must be put to a binding referendum, says the Taxpayers’ Union, following comments from Upper Hutt Mayor Peri Zee that her council is likely to oppose amalgamation.Taxpayers' Union spokesman Josh Van Veen said:“It is encouraging to see councils openly debating amalgamation rather...
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Heads must roll after MBIE finds another $6 million
Responding to MBIE uncovering a further $6 million in costs associated with its failed Biometric Capability Upgrade, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:“Finding another $6 million down the back of the couch is not a rounding error. It exposes a shocking lack of financial control and system...
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Opportunity Wants To Bring Back The Fart Tax
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling out Opportunity’s proposed methane trading scheme for what it is, a new tax on New Zealand farmers.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, Rhys Hurley, said:“This is the fart tax rising from the dead. Farmers fought it off once, and now Opportunity wants to bring it back...
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Taxpayer Manifesto Sets Five Bottom Lines For Next Government
The Taxpayers’ Union has today launched its Taxpayer Manifesto 2026, setting out five bottom lines it wants every political party seeking to form the next Government to address.The manifesto is designed as both an election checklist and a starting point for coalition negotiations after 7 November.Taxpayers’ Union Executive...
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Weak GDP growth requires fiscal discipline
Commenting on today’s announcement that GDP grew 0.2 percent in the June quarter, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Austin Ellingham-Banks said:“0.2 percent growth is better than contraction, but after 0.8 percent last quarter it is a sharp slowdown. With population growing 0.17 percent over the quarter, GDP per person was...
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Watts’ Bill fails to fix local government
The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the Government for passing the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill, saying it fails to fix the problems it was meant to address.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“Either the Government has been run over by officials who opposed fixing the problems from the...
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Bribe-O-Meter Week 2: Labour and Opportunity spend big, while Greens go to ground
Bribe-O-Meter Week 2: Labour and Opportunity spend big, while Greens go to groundLabour has topped the second week of the Taxpayers’ Union’s Bribe-O-Meter, announcing around $421 million of new spending commitments, while most parties have kept their powder dry.Labour’s promise to increase KiwiSaver employer contributions and continue contributions...
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Labour’s Price Gouging Plan Ignores the Cause
Labour’s plan to outlaw excessive prices risks regulating the symptom instead of fixing the lack of competition causing it, says Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Rhys Hurley:“Labour is right that New Zealand has serious competition problems. But if businesses can sustain excessive prices because competitors aren’t challenging them, the answer...
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Willis talks bracket creep: here’s what the tax brackets should be
Responding to Nicola Willis’s comments that National will address bracket creep, the Taxpayers’ Union says the 30 percent income tax threshold should already be $56,801.95 and the 33 percent threshold $82,920.23. The figures come from the our briefing paper The Inflation Tax, which shows where income tax thresholds would sit...
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Greens can’t keep hiding behind Parliamentary secrecy
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick to waive the secrecy afforded to her under Parliament’s OIA carve-out and release the Parliamentary Library costings behind the party’s $1.3 billion KiwiMart acquisition claim.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“The Greens’ KiwiMart numbers clearly don’t add up....
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Watts makes bad Local Government Bill worse
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Government’s move to strip unelected Independent Māori Statutory Board members of voting powers, but says its latest Amendment Paper will kill off councillors’ ability to govern effectively.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“Council voting rights should belong to people elected by ratepayers. The...
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Why does it cost $50,000 to remove a bureaucrat?
The Taxpayers’ Union is questioning why taxpayers are being hit with massive redundancy bills just to reduce an already bloated public service.Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:“An average redundancy payout of $52,500 is an extraordinary golden goodbye. Taxpayers should not have to fork out half a year’s average...
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From Perth to Wellington: An Aussie Intern’s Time at the Taxpayers’ Union
Declan Blaine interned at the Taxpayers' Union January 2025. He is a Juris Doctor candidate at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia. My name is Declan Blaine, and I’m currently completing an internship with the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union through the Mannkal Economic Education Foundation’s international scholarship...
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Op-Ed: ACT is wrong on tax indexation
CLARIFICATION: In this opinion piece, Connor mentions David Seymour's support for Simon Bridges's indexation bill as an example of how ACT's policy on this issue has shifted.David Seymour got in touch to point out that he made clear in his speech that his support for Bridges's bill at first reading...
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Get hit to get help
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union calls on Government to provide greater transparency over their crime prevention fund for local shop owners.In May earlier this year, the Government announced their “Crime Prevention Package”, a $6 million programme aimed at preventing ram-raids and other forms of retail crime. Since then,...
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Human Rights Commission fails Economics 101
The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is disturbed to see the Human Rights Commission suggesting economic policies for which they clearly have no knowledge or understanding of. The Commission recently called for urgent action on rent control, an idea normally spouted by economically-illiterate far-left organisations such as the Green Party. There is strong consensus among...
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Does this sign look like a road hazard to you?
The New Zealand Transport Authority have targeted a Featherston family with threats of enforcement action over a "Stop Three Waters" banner erected on private property.Here is a photo of the banner in question:An email to the family from South Wairarapa District Council says NZTA have "raised concerns about...
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Guest Post: Larry Mitchell on Auckland Council examples of getting it wrong
The previous guest posts I have discussed the ills of Auckland Council focussing upon their wasteful and inefficient approach to the control of their costs. I, along with many commentators believe that Auckland Council's costs are totally out of control.One of the key reasons they are out of control...
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Taxpayer Update: Election debates return 🗳️ | Who costed CommieMart? 📚 | ACT takes aim at the carbon tax 🏭
Hi,Before we get into this week's Taxpayer Update, a big thank you for all the feedback on our 2026 Election Bribe-O-Meter.We can see from the web traffic (and the social media posts) that it is already proving popular. 🙌Two political parties have also been in touch to clarify various policy...
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Taxpayer Update: NEW POLL Labour, Opportunity take a tumble 📉 | Chlöe's CommieMart 🤡 | LGNZ employs bogus rates-cap numbers 🧮
Dear Supporter,It was a huge weekend in terms of election policy - and it's also a big Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll, hot off the press.Two months out from the election and it looks like Opportunity’s, well, opportunity, may have passed. Both National and Labour slump - Labour plummets this month...
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Taxpayer Update: NZ on Air’s $500k encore 🎸 | TWO Taxpayer Heroes this week 🦸♂️
Happy Saturday,It's been another busy week. Let's get into it.Common sense prevails: TWO Taxpayer Heroes in one week! 🦸♂️💥Firstly, in a move designed to make us fall out of our chairs, someone in the Wellington bubble made a good decision this week.Taxpayer Hero Brooke van Velden has stopped Internal Affairs...
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Taxpayer Update: New poll 📊 | Winston's baby bonus 💸 | Bureaucrat sickies 🤒 | $300k for kapa haka "research" 🤦
Hi,Today marks three months until the election, and the silly season has well begun. It even snowed in Wellington!This week, we look at whether NZ First’s $400 million proposed 'baby bonus' is likely to work, expose who in the government is pulling sickies, and why the Nats need...
Read more about Taxpayer Update: New poll 📊 | Winston's baby bonus 💸 | Bureaucrat sickies 🤒 | $300k for kapa haka "research" 🤦 -
Taxpayer Update: Luxon embraces higher taxes 💔 | MBIE's $35m cover-up 😳 | Councils' $1.1b art stash 🎨
Hi,The big political story in the last 24 hours has been Christopher Luxon ruling out TOP.But there's a more important story this morning that's been largely missed – Luxon appears to be no longer ruling out increasing your taxes!Our new report out today also exposes local councils for...
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Taxpayer Update: RMA victory 🗳️ | Billion-dollar energy promises 💸 | DIA’s pokie maths 🎰
Hi Friend,Another big policy victory, another boondoggle out of Shane Jones' slush fund "Regional Infrastructure Fund", and a new myth-busting paper targeting Chlöe Swarbrick's fake news oft-repeated claims that the wealthy in New Zealand do not pay their “fair share” of tax.Let's dive in, .A win for democratic...
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Taxpayer Update: Russ wins Lotto 💸 | Hipkins opens the door 🚪 | Ruth takes on KiwiSaver 💥
Hi,We have bad news if you fell for claims the Government is shrinking Wellington's bureaucracy; good news on our Cap Rates Now campaign, plus this month's Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll and Peter Williams sits down with the Deputy PM David Seymour for Taxpayer Talk.But first – hitting the Jackpot...
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Taxpayer Update: Rates Dashboard out now 📊 | Water bill stitch-up 💧 | Hands off our holidays🏕️
Dear Supporter,If you're a ratepayer, brace yourself: the 2026 edition of our popular 'rates dashboard' is out now, and it makes for sorry reading.TL:DR: colour me surprised, but for those now facing new water bills from today, the councils haven't cut their rates to reflect the new water...
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Taxpayer Update: Nats go compulsory 💰 | Greens go full tax grab 💸 | Matua Jones' limo bill 🥂 | Bureaucrats caught in cover up 🤫
Dear Supporer,It might be a Sunday, but your humble Taxpayers' Union has been in the office today and hard at work... 💁♂️A lot to pack in this week: some promising signs on the local government information front, yet more interesting maths from Labour (just how many times can...
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Taxpayer Update: Labour’s $180m bus bill 🚌 | Save the Family Farm 🚜 | New poll 📊
Hi,Hello from Fieldays, where we've launched our Save the Family Farm campaign (more on this below).We've also got this month's Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll, a defence of the cost of the Official Information Act, and our Ratepayer Guide to Amalgamation, which breaks down the do’s-and-don’ts of local government reform.But...
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Taxpayer Talk: Grover Norquist on No New Taxes and holding politicians to it
This week, Jordan is joined by Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform and the man behind the original Taxpayer Protection Pledge, to talk about how a simple promise not to raise taxes became one of the most powerful forces in American conservative politics.With both National and...
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Taxpayer Talk: Paul Henry on ACT, Tax Cuts, and Taking an Axe to Wellington
In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams is joined by broadcaster-turned-ACT candidate Paul Henry for a lively, wide-ranging conversation on the campaign, the state of the centre-right, and why he thinks this election is too important to sit out.From ACT’s push for smaller government and lower taxes...
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Taxpayer Talk: Ruth Richardson and Eric Crampton on the KiwiSaver Trap
In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams is joined by Eric Crampton from the New Zealand Initiative and former Finance Minister (and Taxpayers’ Union Chair) Ruth Richardson to tackle the renewed debate over compulsory KiwiSaver and New Zealand’s looming superannuation crunch.Is forcing New Zealanders to save more...
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Taxpayer Talk: Nick Clark and Jordan Williams on why council amalgamation could make town halls even worse
In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams is joined by Nick Clark from the New Zealand Initiative and Jordan Williams (Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director) to break down the Government’s plan to slash New Zealand’s 78 local authorities down to as few as 15.They explain why bigger councils...
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Taxpayer Talk: Professor Elizabeth Rata on the decline of education in New Zealand
Why did New Zealand’s education system "turn to custard" in 1971? In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, host Peter Williams sits down with Professor Elizabeth Rata to explore how the nation moved from a world-class, knowledge-rich curriculum to one dominated by "social constructivism" and "learnification”.Elizabeth also lifts the...
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Taxpayer Talk: Oliver Hartwich on Restoring Democratic Control of the Public Service
In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams sits down with Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of the New Zealand Initiative, to discuss why he believes the country’s public service is "fundamentally broken" and incompatible with implementing good policy.Oliver explains how the 1988 reforms inadvertently created a state where...
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Taxpayer Talk: Eric Crampton
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Taxpayer Talk: David Farrar on the methodology and influence of political polling
Our latest Taxpayers’ Union–Curia poll sent Wellington into a frenzy at the beginning of March. But in this week’s Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams sits down with Curia founder - and Taxpayers’ Union co-founder - David Farrar to separate the signal from the spin.Are polls actually driving political decisions,...
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Taxpayer Talk: Roger Partridge on selling public assets to build better infrastructure
The New Zealand Initiative Chair Roger Partridge joins Taxpayer Talk with Peter Williams to discuss a new report arguing New Zealand could unlock more than $24 billion for essential infrastructure by recycling mature Crown-owned commercial assets.Roger explains how redirecting capital tied up in government-owned companies such as Air New Zealand,...
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Taxpayer Talk: Roger Partridge on Unscrambling the Ministerial Maze
This week on Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams is joined by Roger Partridge from the New Zealand Initiative to unpack his new report: Unscrambling Government: Less Confusion, More Efficiency.Right now, New Zealand has 81 ministerial portfolios, 28 ministers, and 43 departments. That’s three times as many portfolios and nearly...
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