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Budget 2018 - A classic Labour Party Budget
Dear Supporter,Our analysts have just left the Government’s Budget lock-up having pored through the largest budget media/analysts pack we can recall and listened to an early version of Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s speech which he has just read to Parliament.You can read our summary comments to media here.Except...
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Clinton Foundation petition delivered to Parliament
This morning our team delivered our petition to end taxpayer funding for the Clinton Health Access Initiative, a subsidiary of the Clinton Foundation. All up, the petition received an impressive 6,400 signatures. In addition, around 1,800 people have used our website to write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs,...
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Treasury predict average worker paying top tax rate by 2022
Budget 2018 projections show that the average worker will be in the top income tax bracket by 2022 unless urgent changes are made to tax thresholds to adjust them to wage inflation. Taxpayers’ Union Economist Joe Ascroft says “This is the eighth successive Budget that has not delivered income tax relief....
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New Green-tint corporate welfare scheme mistaken
Putting aside $100 million for a “Green Investment Fund” to compete with investment bankers is a mistake, says the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union. Union Economist Joe Ascroft says “James Shaw says international investors are ‘already shifting into climate-aligned investments.’ If that’s the case, then why does the Government need to set...
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Budget win for the Taxpayers’ Union with announcement of independent costing office
The Taxpayers’ Union is celebrating that a policy it has pushed for since 2014 has been adopted by the Government. Jordan Williams, the Executive Director of the Taxpayers’ Union, says: “Since we launched our election ‘Bribe-O-Meter’ we have argued that New Zealand needs an independent election policy costing office. This increases transparency, improves...
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Megan Woods breaks word – gives into Callaghan self-interest.
The Taxpayers’ Union is fuming that Minister for Research, Science and Innovation Megan Woods has broken her word and capitulated to Callaghan Innovation’s pressure to keep its precious corporate welfare grant schemes, rather than phasing them out in favour of the new R&D tax credit.Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says,...
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Government acknowledges merits of full capital expensing – but why just bloodstock?
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the underlying principle in the only tax change announced as part of today’s Budget 2018 to promote economic growth: full capital expensing of bloodstock. “Allowing full expensing of capital investments is the best tax reform no one has heard of,” says the Union’s Economist Joe Ascroft. “This is...
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A billion dollars a year for 900 fewer tertiary students. WTF?
Treasury has ripped off the political veil and exposed the Prime Minister’s flagship ‘free’ tertiary education policy with Budget showing that the numbers in tertiary education set to decline by 900 in the 2018/19 year. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says: “The whole reason the Prime Minister pushed ahead with...
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Labour delivers predictable budget in sweet economic times
From the Budget 2018 lock-up, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming Labour’s adherence to its pre-election ‘fiscal rules’ despite delivering significant Labour-Party style sweeteners in the Budget delivered today. Taxpayers’ Union Chairman, Barrie Saunders, says: “This is a classic Labour Party Budget, in probably the best economic times inherited by a...
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Confirmed: $5.5m for the Clinton Foundation in 2018/19
UPDATE: You can email the Minister of Foreign Affairs about this issue by clicking here.A subsidiary of the controversial Clinton Foundation is set to receive US$3.9m (NZ$5.5m) in taxpayer money in 2018/19, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can confirm. This is in addition to NZ$8m given to the...
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Taxpayers' Union presents submission to Tax Working Group
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has finalised and presented its submission to the Tax Working Group, along with submissions from more than 800 Taxpayers’ Union members and supporters. We look forward to hearing the Working Group acknowledge not just our own submission, but those of the 800 or so taxpayers who have submitted...
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We've made it easy to submit to the Tax Working Group
We've made it easy for you to make a submission to the Government's Tax Working Group, chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. Our online tool will make sure your voice is heard.Will you take a moment to send the Working Group a clear message? The Tax Working Group should not...
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Taxpayer-funded health activists bully Youthline against advice
Taxpayer-funded health activists ignored advice from the Ministry of Health, Auckland Council, and Auckland Transport, to bully a company into dropping a promotion to raise money for Youthline, reveals the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. Healthy Auckland Together (HAT), a coalition of public agencies and taxpayer-funded health groups, used taxpayer money...
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Petition shames Hamilton Mayor into U-turn
You did it!Earlier today our mascot “Porky the Waste Hater” presented our petition calling on the Hamilton City Council to ditch the proposal to change its name, to the Mayor and Councillors.It is fair to say that the Mayor was NOT happy with the attention and our presence. ...
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Petition launched on Hamilton City Council name change
It is astounding that Hamilton City Council’s mayor is pushing a name change while Hamilton ratepayers face rate hikes of 9.5% a year, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union, launching a petition on the issue. Taxpayers' Union spokesperson Louis Houlbrooke says, “The Mayor should be dealing with a rates crisis,...
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Police spend $2.5m on clothing allowances for non-uniformed staff
New Zealand Police handed out $2,505,317 in clothing allowances to non-uniformed staff in 2017, according to figures obtained by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.Most of this spending was on 1,412 staff in the Criminal Investigator Branch staff who receive allowances of $1,413.72 a year.$1,400 a year would give...
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National Party leadership
Wellington has seen a flurry of activity this week as Bill English declared that he would be stepping down as National Party Leader and resigning from Parliament. We thanked Mr English for his service on behalf of taxpayers, noting his success in cutting taxes in 2010 and making...
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Four months late: Callaghan releases latest spending figures
Five months after it was requested under the Official Information Act, Callaghan Innovation has now released its 2016/17 entertainment expenses.The bill increased from the previous year, going from $304,675 to $308,969.It’s another long laundry list of taxpayer-funded purchases, largely of booze, fine dining, and flat whites for Callaghan...
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Bill English thanked for service to taxpayers
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union expresses gratitude on behalf of its 32,000 members and supporters to Rt Hon Bill English for his service to taxpayers. Under his tenure as Finance Minister and Prime Minister in 2008-2017, the burden on taxpayers reduced, with core Crown revenue as proportion of GDP cut from...
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Bureaucrats schmooze fat cats with your money
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has today released the full breakdown (attached) of Callaghan Innovation’s entertainment expenses for 2015/16.Earlier this month, we revealed Callaghan spent $304,000 on ‘entertainment’ in 2015/16. We can now confirm this was mostly purchases at cafes, bars and restaurants, and we have obtained receipts...
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Revealed: 40% of Wellington-Canberra seats empty
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that only 60% of seats were filled on the ratepayer subsidised Wellington-Canberra flight route, compared to an average of nearly 80% for all flights in and out of Australia.Figures published by the Australian Government in their international airline review for 2016/17...
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PETITION: End Ratepayer Subsidies to Singapore Airlines
The failure of Singapore Airlines' Wellington-Canberra route shows what an utter waste the route’s multi-million dollar subsidy has been. The Wellington-Canberra route should never have been subsidised in the first place. Now that the spending has proven to be a complete waste, you would expect WREDA (Wellington Regional Economic...
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EXPOSED: Bureaucrats party with drag queens on taxpayer dollar
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that a small government agency spent over $300,000 on ‘entertainment’ in 2015/16 – including a drag queen dinner and show for staff.The Union gained receipts for Callaghan Innovation’s entertainment purchases via the Official Information Act.From a laundry list of receipts from bars, cafes,...
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MEDIA RELEASE: Tax Working Group Should Be Tasked With Fiscal Neutrality
14 DECEMBER 2017FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEWith the Budget Policy Statement indicating fiscal restraint, and the Government not signalling increases in revenue over and above nominal growth and fiscal drag, the Tax Working Group should be tasked to offer fiscally neutral solutions says the Taxpayers’ Union. Jordan Williams, the Union’s Executive Director,...
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MEDIA RELEASE: Labour’s Mini-Budget Delivers Fiscal Restraint
14 DECEMBER 2017FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE“Grant Robertson’s pre-Christmas spend-up appears to tie his hand in years to come, and offers a welcome dose of fiscal restraint,” says the Taxpayers’ UnionExecutive Director, Jordan Williams, reacting to today’s Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update. “Today’s HYEFU was a mini-budget – it changes the...
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MEDIA RELEASE: KiwiBuild Spending Mostly Crowds Out What Would Be Built Anyway
14 DECEMBER 2017FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEBy the next election, the Government will have spent two billion dollars on KiwiBuild, but only a little more than a third of that will have translated into additional houses according to Treasury analysis pointed to by the Taxpayers’ Union. New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Economist Joe Ascroft, says,...
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MEDIA RELEASE: Winter Energy Payment Is Universalism At Its Worst
14 DECEMBER 2017FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEWith the Budget Policy Statement indicating fiscal restraint, and the Government not signalling increases in revenue over and above nominal growth and fiscal drag, the Tax Working Group should be tasked to offer fiscally neutral solutions says the Taxpayers’ Union. Jordan Williams, the Union’s Executive Director,...
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OIA: Request for secret agreement contents
Earlier this week, we sent this Offical Infomation Act request (OIA), to the Cabinet Secretary (a senior official in the non-political Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet) asking what information he has, or knows, about the contents of the 36-page secret document. Even if the DPMC does not actually have the...
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$190,000 per student
$380 million = $190,000 eachEarlier this week, the Government announced the details of its plan to make the first year of tertiary study free fully taxpayer funded. For the princely sum of $380 million, an extra 2,000 students are expected to pursue tertiary study from next year – that’s $190,000...
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Ratepayers' Report reveals the two NZ councils without Audit and Risk Committees
Our 2017 Ratepayers' Report - local government league tables - has identified Otorohanga, and Grey District Councils as the only two local authorities in New Zealand to govern without an Audit and Risk Committee.Earlier in the year, Ratepayers' Report showed that Otorohanga, Grey and Waitomo District Councils were the only New Zealand councils failing to...
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The agreement Jacinda Ardern does not want you to see
The secret agreementWhen the new Government was formed, Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, let slip that a "hidden addendum" to the Labour-NZ First coalition agreement had been agreed to, which clarified how the new Government will operate. Mr Peters promised that the document, apparently 38 pages long, would be...
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Update on Waikato DHB expense scandal
We can shed more light on the expense scandal at the Waikato DHB, with the release of documents we requested under the Official Information Act arriving on Friday. Documents were released showing a number of important details for taxpayers (see below).To our surprise, and despite numerous assurances that...
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New Report: Fare Game? Flagging Down the Cost of Public Servant Taxis
Our new report, titled Fare Game? Flagging down the cost of public sector taxis, shows that bureaucrats choosing more expensive taxi services over ride-sharing apps like Uber have cost taxpayers at least $9.81 million since Uber’s introduction in mid-2014.Currently, the 28 tier-one public service departments spend about $9.3 million a year on...
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Coalitions purchased with taxpayers’ money
Labour’s coalition agreements with New Zealand First and the Green Party were released on Tuesday. While they set out the policy priorities of the new government, they do not breakdown the costs. Failing to mention the expenses, both in the agreements and most of the media commentary, should...
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False START at IRD
Inland Revenue’s new IT system, implemented in February for their GST services, has been a disappointment. According to official data from IRD, the time spent handling GST related enquiries increased by 50% when the system was first introduced in February earlier this year. As of August, months after implementation,...
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Auckland Council second highest rates in NZ (and they tried to hide it)
Auckland Council has been caught out providing false information regarding the average rates paid by Auckland households, with revised figures showing that Aucklanders pay the second highest rates in New Zealand.Over multiple years, officials have provided incorrect information to the Taxpayers’ Union and Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance researchers under...
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It's the corporate welfare which is the problem
An article published last week by Fairfax has left an incorrect impression on the reason why the Taxpayers' Union objects to the Government signing an R&D cooperation agreement with Israel. The Union wishes to clarify that it is the nature of the agreement – that Callaghan Innovation's corporate welfare R&D grants will favour companies working with...
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Apology from LGNZ
The Taxpayers’ Union has accepted a settlement and apology from Local Government New Zealand President Dave Cull relating to public statements he made about the accuracy of the Taxpayers’ Union’s local government league tables, ‘Ratepayers Report’, and honesty of the organisation.While we make no apology for our research being hard hitting and won’t...
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Should Bob Simcock resign?
Today's Waikato Times covers our call for Waikato DHB Chair, Bob Simcock, to follow his disgraced Cheif Executive, Nigel Murray, and resign for the lack of oversight and expense scandal, we've been bombarded with feedback from our members and supports in the Waikato region on the issue.We've been looking...
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How much will this election cost you?
We've had a great response to our full-page newspaper ads which ran across the country yesterday.The figures are based on our election policy costing "Bribe-O-Meter" which is based on the parties’ own estimated costs of their policies and they have been tracked and verified by our own independent economists....
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Barrie Saunders appointed to Taxpayers' Union Board
Well known former Wellington lobbyist and former journalist, Barrie Saunders, has been appointed to the board of the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.Barrie retired from the government relations consultancy, Saunders Unsworth, in March 2015, after 25 years as a government relations consultant. The company specialises in the management of public policy...
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Bribe-O-Meter Update: Adding Up the Cost of Potential Government Coalitions
In the final Bribe-O-Meter update before the election, the Taxpayers’ Union has put together the combined manifesto costings for a range of potential coalitions. These figures will allow voters to gain a better understanding of the fiscal implications of a potential Government over the next three-year parliamentary term. This week we have put together...
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Bribe-O-Meter running red hot (Week 9)
Another week of expensive election promises typifies the penultimate weekly Bribe-O-Meter update. The Green Party and TOP are this week’s big movers, each with over $3 billion in new spending announced in the past seven days. Other movers include New Zealand First (a further $1.5 billion) and the National Party...
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Bribe-O-Meter Update: ACT this weeks biggest spender
For the first time ever, the ACT Party is the biggest spender in this week's update of the election Bribe-O-Meter. ACT’s big jump is on the back of its education policy, costing $3 billion over the next parliamentary term. This week the Bribe-O-Meter also sees Labour and the Green Party jump by more...
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Briefing paper: Robin Hood Reversed
Following on from Jacinda Ardern's announcement today of Labour's tertiary education policy offering 'free' university study for up to three years, we have released a briefing paper examining whether "zero fees" university really is what the left say it's cracked up to be.We find that the implementation of...
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Bribe-O-Meter Update: Labour Attempting to Buy the Big Cities
Big spending packages targeted at New Zealand’s major cities account for the majority of the increases in the latest update of the Bribe-O-Meter. Labour has been the most ambitious with expensive new packages targeted at each of the major cities, with other smaller promises from National and the Green...
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Bribe-O-Meter Update (Week 6)
National Party Doubles New Spending Promises In Just Seven DaysNational spends-up large...The National Party has more than doubled its new election spending in the space of just one week. Since last Monday, the National Party has increased promised spending from $2.5 to $6.8 billion across the next parliamentary...
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2017 Ratepayers' Report published
This morning, in partnership with our sister group, the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance, we published the 2017 "Ratepayers' Report" - our local government interactive league tables. The tool allows ratepayers to see how their local council performs on metrics including average rates, staff numbers, liabilities per resident, and even CEO salary.Ratepayers'...
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Mr Taxman (still) not picking up the phone
Tens of thousands of New Zealanders still can't get through to the IRD, according to new figures which show only a slight improvement in the numbers of callers being rejected by IRD due to under-staffing. In the space of a month, almost 170,000 callers have not even made...
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Bribe-O-Meter update (week 3)
Bribe-O-Meter week 3: All minor parties added, NZ First spending in excess of $22.5bIn this weeks update, all parties currently in Parliament have been added to the Taxpayers’ Union Bribe-O-Meter, which tracks the costs of election policies as they are announced.To date, NZ First has the most expensive set of policies,...
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Rotorua Lakes Council accepts Supreme Achievement Award for importing mud from South Korea
The Taxpayers’ Union mascot, "Porky the Waste-hater", visited Rotorua this morning, and awarded the Rotorua Mayor a “Supreme Achievement Award” for imagination and achievement in wasting public money, following the Mayor’s decision to spend $90,000 of public money to import five tonnes of mud from South Korea. The mud is...
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2017 Election Bribe-O-Meter Launched
The Taxpayers’ Union is repeating its popular election costing tool with the launch of the 2017 General Election Bribe-O-Meter to keep track of the cost of party manifestos in the lead up to polling day.The Bribe-O-Meter provides transparency on what the promises made by political parties will cost and it holds to account politicians...
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NZ’s biggest companies received over $7 million of taxpayer money for power bills
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that over $7 million of taxpayer money has been spent on the power bills of 94 of New Zealand’s largest companies since July 2014. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s (EECA) ‘large energy users programme’ provides funding to businesses, in an attempt to encourage...
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Mr Taxman not picking up the phone
Up to 55% of calls from taxpayers are being rejected by the IRD because it does not have enough staff rostered on to answer the phones, according to data supplied to the Taxpayers' Union covering a 2-week period in May this year.At tax time, the least the Government...
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Green’s Utopia: The fastest way to achieving equality is to make everybody poorer
The Green Party’s attempt to increase the welfare state in their policy launched over the weekend, is not only an unnecessary burden on taxpayers but also founded on a misunderstanding of the economic realities facing New Zealand.Firstly, the Green's claim that inequality has been increasing in New Zealand....
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HRC 'anti-racist' campaign funded by levy based on race
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal the Human Rights Commission’s recent “Give Nothing To Racism” anti-discrimination campaign has been funded by discriminatory levies payable only by international students and new migrants.The Human Rights Commission campaign featuring advertisements of Neil Finn and Taika Waititi was funded from the Export Education...
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Don't claw the cats
The Dunedin Mayor’s pitch to local councils in his campaign to be elected the new president of Local Government New Zealand is nuts. Despite the vast majority of ratepayers considering the move silly, Dave Cull wants to use ratepayers’ money to lobby the government to force cat owners to register their...
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Cost of Winston Peters’ ‘Carpet Policy’ $120 million
NZ First has announced its ‘carpet policy’ - to line all Government offices with wool carpets.NZ First are calling for wool carpets to be put back on the floors of government departments and state houses.Party leader Winston Peters believes the move would revitalise New Zealand's declining wool industry...
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Sugar Tax Response
In my opinion piece in Wednesday's New Zealand Herald, I laid out a list of reasons why a sugar tax on soft drinks would be a bad piece of public policy and would do little, if anything, to reduce obesity rates.In brief, I pointed to the failure in other...
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Socialism for the Rich
Today we have released our latest report, ‘Socialism for the Rich’, by Jim Rose. The report shows that the annual cost of corporate welfare is now $1.6 billion - or $931 per New Zealand household.‘Socialism for the Rich’ collates the costs of all the corporate welfare expenditure in Budget 2017....
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Chatham Islands treaty settlement travel costs skyrocket
The efficiency of the Office of Treaty Settlements' travel arrangements needs examination, after just nine officials racked up a $57k travel bill to the Chatham Islands alone, in only 18 months. Serious questions need to be asked about why the Office have not elected to use other means to remain connected with...
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Revealed: MFAT giving taxpayer money to North Korea
Further to our earlier exposés of aid money being wasted on countries spending it on space programmes and the millions going to subsidiaries of the Clinton Foundation, we can now reveal that under the current Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade has given $215,000 to North Korean aid projects, despite...
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Labour Party, Phil Goff deserting the poor in support of motorway tolls.
Phil Goff and the Labour Party need to re-examine their support for motorway tolls if they want to remain champions of low income workers, say the Taxpayers’ Union. It is pointing out that motorway tolls would disproportionately affect low income workers in Auckland’s outer suburbs.Jordan Williams, Executive Director...
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Op-ed: I'm a neoliberal. Maybe you are too
This piece first appeared in the National Business Review on 19 May 2017I’m a neoliberal. Maybe you are too Opinion piece by Jordan Williams‘Neoliberal’ is a fashionable term, but is often poorly defined and misunderstood. Radio New Zealand could barely contain itself last month when former-Prime Minister Jim Bolger...
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Op Ed: John Bishop on Budget 2017
Joyce’s budget soothes path to re-electionIn a climate of strong economic growth and continuing surpluses in the government’s account, Steven Joyce has opened his wallet wide and gone on a spending binge. This is an election year budget in which every itch in the electorate has been soothed...
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John Bishop overview on Budget 2017
Budget 2017 overview - a taxpayer perspectiveBudgets are essentially political documents, and especially in an election year. It’s the government of the day’s bid to win the election.And in 2017 Steven Joyce is embarking on the biggest election year spend up since Roman politicians in the dying days...
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Media Release: Changes in tax thresholds sell us short
Changes to tax thresholds don’t compensate for changes in average earnings growth for the average earner with an income of $57,000 based on previous reports on fiscal drag by the Taxpayers’ Union. “The effect is that the average worker is paying a higher average tax rate now than in...
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Media Release: Bill English bets on a modest carrot, big spending, to win an election
‘Vote for National and get a tax cut next year’ is the message from Budget 2017, says Jordan Williams, Executive Director of the Taxpayers’ Union. “But middle and high-income earners will be burdened with a higher proportion of the costs of government.” “The person on the average wage has...
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Media Release: Very little for business sector in Budget 2017
With the exception of corporate welfare (which taxes all businesses more, to divert grants to favoured businesses and industries) the business-friendly initiative which features in the Budget announcements is a single proposal to allow deductibility of capital investment 'viability expenditure'. The Government has announced $372.8 million of new operating funding...
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Budget 2017 - pre-budget analysis
Budget 2017: Guide to Possible Tax ChangesSteven Joyce has intimated that this Budget will provide tax relief to New Zealanders through an adjustment in tax thresholds. As we go into the Budget lock up, the Taxpayers Union’ have put together some benchmark figures as a guide to judging the size of...
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Response to PSA – “Ten Perspectives on Tax”
The Public Services Association (PSA) have released a new booklet, “Ten Perspectives on Tax” that intends to fight back against growing public demand for tax cuts. It did not take long – the first page of the first chapter to be precise - before I had to stop...
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Happy Tax Freedom Day
According to the OECD figures, this year tax freedom day is Monday 22 May, representing the 39.1% of the economy that is spent by the government.Today, Monday 22 May, is "Tax Freedom Day" - the first day this year that New Zealanders stop working for the Government and...
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Op-ed: There is nothing scarier than a government in surplus
There is nothing scarier than a government in surplusPre-budget opinion piece published in the Waikato Times, 18 May 2017The series of new spending initiatives over the last few weeks are looking more and more like pork barrel election year bribes and suggest that the healthy government books are...
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Stats NZ pay for astronomical lease
Statistics New Zealand’s new lease with Wellington’s Chow Brothers for offices at 318 Lambton Quay signs up taxpayers for $794 per square metre per year — an astronomical amount for office space. As reported by this morning's Dominion Post, documents (see link below) show that the Ministry is paying...
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Costs of Fire Service about to skyrocket
Fire Service Amalgamation Means 40% Increase In Fire Insurance LevyNew Zealanders will have to pay an extra 40% in their insurance fire levy from July despite the key selling point of the Government’s amalgamation of fire services being ‘efficiency’ - according to a new report we've published today.The...
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OECD Report on income tax
A report released last week by the OECD (a group of mostly rich countries), ‘Taxing Wages’, compares the effective tax rates within the OECD club. According to the report, the average earner with no children in New Zealand has the second-lowest effective tax rate in the OECD at...
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Havelock North water inquiry getting costly
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that the the Hastings District Council has almost spent $1 million of ratepayer money on legal and investigation fees in relation to the Havelock North drinking water inquiry. The official figures were obtained by the Taxpayers’ Union under the Local Government Official Information and...
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New report: 5 Options for Tax Relief in 2017
The Government’s failure to index tax brackets to inflation since 2010 now costs the average Kiwi income earner almost $500 each year according to a new report released today by the Taxpayers’ Union. The report, "5 Options for Tax Relief in 2017", models five options to deliver meaningful tax...
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Living Wage policies: The best of intentions but the worst of results
Seventeen parking wardens contracted by Wellington City Council were not rehired in-house, with further job losses inevitable under the Council’s living wage policy, according to a new report we've released today authored by our Research Fellow Jim Rose.The report's key findings are:Seventeen Wellington City Council employees lost their...
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Yule set to cost ratepayers $100k if elected to Parliament
Taxpayers are on the hook for between $90,000 and $100,000 in by-election costs in the case of Lawrence Yule being selected as the National Party's Tuki Tuki candidate and subsequently elected in this year's general election. This figure was revealed after we asked the council for its calculation of...
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Lack of oversight by Greater Wellington Regional Council 'scary'
A Greater Wellington Regional Council guarantee to cover $150 million of debt in the event of default by CentrePort has raised serious concerns as the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union reveals correspondence that shows the Council has received no documentation whatsoever about CentrePort's insurance cover, or any information about the impairment...
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Would you give your own money to the Clinton Foundation?
Following on from our blowing the whistle on the Government earmarking another $5.5 million of NZ Aid money to be given to the Clinton Foundation over the next few years, we’re sorry to report that the Government is refusing to veto the extra spend.Last week it was reported that the...
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Council-owned art: half a billion collecting dust
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that local councils across New Zealand have accrued more than half a billion dollars of artwork – at least $560 million – with 93% of the collections collecting dust or otherwise not on public display.A Taxpayers’ Union briefing paper on research looking at the...
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The most perplexing leaving gift ever?
As regular readers will know, the Taxpayers' Union operate a tip-line for insiders and members of the public to report government waste. In December we received a tip off that former Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown asked officials for a ratepayer-funded tattoo as her departure gift as Mayor of...
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Australian Government pulls plug on Clinton Foundation funding
With news that the Clinton Foundation is laying off 22 staffers due to the discontinuation of the Clinton Global Initiative, we have revealed that the Australian Government is cutting all financial ties with the Clinton Global Health Initiative.In 2014 Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced that the Australian Government had committed...
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Government set to give Clinton Foundation another $5.5 million
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that the Government has budgeted to give another $5.5 million dollars of taxpayers’ money to the controversial Clinton Foundation, despite Mrs Clinton’s failed US Presidential bid and controversy over improper ties between the Clinton Foundation, the State Department and donations from foreign governments to the...
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How we are fighting the war on government waste and making the case for tax cuts in 2017
Three years fighting for taxpayersThe Taxpayers’ Union has today released its annual review, covering the last 12 months of operations.Click here to view in full-screen mode (opens a new window)The document concludes what has been a busy, and effective, year for the Union. Our combined effort exposed, fought, and defeated the awful 'Taniwha Tax’...
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Trans-Tasman report calls for life-saving reforms to help smokers quit
The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union, Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance and MyChoice Australia have jointly launched a report calling for the governments on both sides of the Tasman to legalise, and lightly regulate new technologies to help smokers quit. The report, E-cigarettes: Reducing the Harm of Smoking, builds on the report we released...
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Absolutely, positively wasteful: Wellington City Council shindig costs $51K (with video)
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that a Wellington City Council party, just weeks prior to the local body elections, to celebrate the signing of its new “sister city” agreement with Canberra, cost Wellington City ratepayers more than $51,000. The total cost included $14,850 spent on fashion models, ballet...
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Time for an official child poverty measure
This morning the Taxpayers’ Union is called on political parties to come together and agree on an official measure and national target to cut childhood poverty. Irrespective of whether you think the Government is already spending enough on measures to relieve child poverty, we should have an agreed yardstick to hold politicians...
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Comprehensive victory in Unitary Plan "Taniwha Tax" campaign
The Taniwha Tax is dead!Today with our sister group the Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance, we are celebrating a comprehensive victory in our “Taniwha Tax” campaign, with the Independent Hearings Panel recommending that Cultural Impact Assessment requirements, and the scheduled “sites of value” be deleted from the Unitary Plan.In April...
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Demagoguery Has Hijacked Labour's Once-Stellar Housing Plan
Originally published in the NBR, 15 July 2016.New Zealand's soaring house prices are a symptom of a deeper problem, and one man has had the wisdom and courage to hit the nail on the head. That man is Labour MP Phil Twyford of Te Atatu, but his sound...
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Aid money wasted on countries spending it on space programmes
The Taxpayers’ Union is questioning why NZ Aid money, meant to help the world’s poorest, is being used to support countries and governments with their own space programs. The figures (see below) show that since 2010 more than $214 million of taxpayer money has been given to countries rich...
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Time to examine the merits of term limits?
Could term limits for local councillors may be a way to bring fresh thinking into local government?This morning's DominionPost covers our research to identify New Zealand’s longest-serving local-body politicians.New Zealand's longest-serving councillor is on track to notch up half a century in public office – provided voters give him the...
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Taxpayers’ Union Victory: DOC extinguishes wasteful staff junkets to Australia
In mid-2014, the Taxpayers’ Union blew the whistle on the Department of Conservation for spending over $100,000 to send 47 staff overseas to learn about controlled burning of bush – a fire fighting technique that is not even used in New Zealand.We had obtained under the Official Information...
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Questions over covert taxpayer funding of Labour's Wellington mayoral campaign
The Taxpayers’ Union has been leaked an email from a senior Labour Party insider which appears to reveal that the Labour Party have used taxpayer money to produce a promotional video of Wellington’s controversial Deputy Mayor, and mayoral candidate, Justin Lester.The email suggests that Labour’s Whip's Office, which...
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Op-Ed: Transport policy: Greens' new freight policy does not add up
Originally published by the National Business Review, Friday 27 May, 2016The Green Party wants to double to 50% the share of freight to be transported by rail and sea by 2027. That means moving about one-quarter of total domestic freight off 90,000km of roads on to 3800km of rail...
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Op-Ed: Tax debate should have room for honest disagreement
Originally published by the National Business Review on Friday, 10 June 2016Too much of tax policy is debated with pistols drawn at 10 paces. Each side accuses the other of ignorance or being steeped in moral turpitude, and preferably often both.Far too much time is spent feuding over the...
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Taxpayers forking out $683k per year for bureaucrats to watch SKY
Central and local government agencies are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money every year on subscription TV services.The data for the last financial year shows some agencies such as KiwiRail and Auckland Council spending close to $50,000 each on TV subscriptions. The total for the agencies surveyed...
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Op-Ed: Median earners forgotten in scramble for bigger government
Originally published by the National Business Review on Thursday, 26 May 2016The one thing we knew wouldn’t be in the Budget this week was tax cuts. The Government has said not today, probably not next year but maybe at some stage before 2020.While National has done a good job...
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