The Taxpayers’ Union has today launched the Rates Cap Dashboard, revealing the staggering financial relief households across New Zealand are being denied by the Government delaying rates caps. 

The new dashboard uses average residential rates data to calculate how much ratepayers could have saved over the last three years if the rates cap had been in place. Households in 21 councils could have saved more than $1,000 on average, with households in Queenstown-Lakes District Council topping the list, losing an average of $1706.14 each.  

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said: 

"The Rates Cap Dashboard provides clear evidence of the massive savings being lost due to the Government’s inertia." 

"While the Government dilly-dallies with a 2029 start date, ratepayers in 21 councils could have saved more than $1000 with a two percent cap over the last three years. Even ratepayers in Waitomo, with the smallest savings, would have had an additional $445 in their pockets." 

"The average household has lost $864 over the past three years without the two percent cap in place. Even under a four percent cap, households would have saved $670 on average. Imagine how much they’ll lose as councils take their final chances to ramp up rates over the next three years.” 

“Ratepayers can’t afford three more years of double-digit rates hikes. The Government must bring forward their timeline and cap rates now.” 

The two percent rates cap represents the maximum potential lost savings under the Government’s proposals. The top 10 councils for lost ratepayer savings are: 

1. Queenstown-Lakes District Council - $1706.14 

2. Wellington City Council - $1525.91 

3. Hastings District Council - $1331.62 

4. South Wairarapa District Council - $1326.84 

5. Whakatāne District Council - $1258.26 

6. Gore District Council - $1210.99 

7. Hutt City Council - $1187.50 

8. Ōpōtiki District Council - $1163.20 

9. Tauranga City Council - $1139.47 

10. Central Otago District Council - $1118.01 

The Rates Cap Dashboard can be found at www.taxpayers.org.nz/rates_cap_dashboard

Rates caps are coming, but not until 2029. That means another three years of councils ramping up your rates. The Taxpayers' Union can exclusively reveal how much you would have saved over the last three years if the Government's rates cap had been in place.

On average, each Kiwi household would have saved $863.65 if annual rates increases were capped at 2 percent and $669.85 with a 4 percent cap.

Can you afford three more years of this? See how much you've already lost out on below.

The Taxpayers' Union is slamming yesterday’s quiet announcement on the IRD's Policy website that that the Government intends to treat company loans to shareholders as income, resulting in a double taxation and the most dramatic tax grab on SMEs since the Muldoon era.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said:

“This is an unprecedented attack on the tax arrangements of the farming and SME sectors.”

“According to the documents, from yesterday the Government will now classify outstanding loans made by their businesses to their owners as taxable income of the owner, if not repaid within twelve months. But the owners are still legally required to repay the loan and must do so from future earnings and dividends which are taxable income. So, the owners are double taxed on the value of the outstanding loan and the interest payments.”

“SMEs are the lifeblood of our economy. The way many SMEs operate is that during the year the company pays owners a regular amount to meet owner living costs. This is usually done by a loan from the company to the owner. At the end of the year, company accounts are drawn up. The loan to the owner is repaid by the company allocating either salary or dividends to the owner to repay the debt accumulated over the year.”

“However, if the company does not make the expected profits to pay enough in salary or dividends to clear the loan the owner has spent on living expenses, the loan remains outstanding at the end of the tax year. Up until now, IRD would have just treated it as an outstanding loan owed to the business. But from today it will be treated as a dividend and taxed as income, if not repaid within twelve months.”

“Suddenly, the tax burden on farmers and SMEs has shot up dramatically. The incentive for business owners never to incorporate or grow has just been magnified immensely.”

"This will absolutely hammer farmers, and other capital intensive businesses that may run a negative current account. Treating a loan as income - and then taxing the dividends to pay it back again - is draconian.  Even Muldoon would blush."

“The advice we've received is that this change will hit SMEs far harder than Labour's proposed CGT. Worse still, the law will be retrospective to cover the current tax year, announced not as part of a budget, but quietly on the IRD website.  What on earth are Ministers thinking to sign this one off – and why haven't they fronted to what amounts to the biggest tax grab by a National-led Government since Muldoon?

The Taxpayers’ Union is seeking a meeting with the Inland Revenue Department for them to explain their system error left thousands of New Zealanders with incorrect tax bills.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“IRD's mistake has resulted in four and a half thousand taxpayers being told they owe tax they don’t or being paid the wrong refund. That is unacceptable from an agency responsible for collecting billions each year.”

“This wasn’t a one-off glitch. It went unnoticed long enough to affect this many people, and IRD still can’t say exactly how many past returns will need to be corrected. Taxpayers not only deserve answers, but we need to ensure that IRD has in place proper checking and systems of accountability.”

“IRD owe every taxpayer a duty of care, and have clearly failed in that duty here. We're seeking from IRD an assurance that no taxpayer will face penalties or interest because of its own mistakes.”

The Taxpayers' Union is calling for greater transparency and a hard cap on exit payouts in the public sector after taxpayers have funded an eye-watering $837,000 bill for golden handshakes this week alone.

The $837,000 bill stems from three high-profile public sector exits this week:

• Andrew Coster - ex-chief executive of the Social Investment Agency - $130,000
• Diana Sarfati - Former Ministry of Health director - $350,000
• Sarah Fitt - Former Chief Executive for Pharmac - $357,000

Taxpayers' Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

"It’s a slap in the face for New Zealanders who are struggling with the cost of living. These handshakes are outrageous, especially in cases of voluntary departures like Diana Sarfati and in exits that should have been dismissals like Coster."

“You can’t sustain a culture where poor performance is met with a reward. Until the Government clamps down on these payouts, taxpayers will keep getting burned. The government needs to start showing some fiscal responsibility.”

“The scale of this $837,000 taxpayer bill is obscene. The Taxpayers' Union is calling on Minister Brooke van Velden ensures her reforms include a hard cap and ban all exit payouts for public service employees paid more than an MP.”

The Taxpayers’ Union says the resignation of former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster is long overdue and should never have required weeks of costly garden leave.

Executive Director Jordan Williams said:

“This resignation should never have been necessary; Coster should have been fired as soon as the damning IPCA report was finalised, given the Public Service Commissioner had been provided the draft report."

"It was always questionable why it took until the IPCA report was made public before Coster was suspended."

"Coster cost the taxpayer more than $33,000 on gardening leave, which still amounts to an unjustified gold handshake.”

"Given recent examples of taxpayers' being told that someone has resigned only to find out later that there was a huge exit payment, taxpayers will be looking for an assurance from the Public Sector Commission that this isn't another ruse."

The Taxpayers’ Union is pushing back at Christchurch City Council advisers calling for a Greater Christchurch “super city”, saying amalgamation must only ever come from the community, not from policy staff.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“It’s completely inappropriate for advisers to be pushing for large-scale amalgamation. These sorts of structural changes need to come from the communities affected, not bureaucratic planners who think bigger is automatically better.”

“We already know councils lose efficiency once they get too big. The focus should be on doing the basics well, not creating new super city layers of red tape and repeating the unreviewed Auckland experiment.”

“Instead of chasing grand reforms, Christchurch City Council should be sticking to delivering services ratepayers actually want. Pushing a super city model when Selwyn and Waimakariri haven’t asked for it only shows how out of touch some advisers are.”

“The Government’s wider reforms should focus on cutting duplication, improving performance, and keeping decision-making as close to communities as possible, rather than encouraging councils to absorb their neighbours."

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling for a law change to prevent the payout of golden handshakes to public servants paid more than MPs, after yet another health boss has walked away with a $350,000 payout despite leaving voluntarily.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“We’re barely a day on from the Pharmac payout and here we are again. Yet another giant cheque has been handed to someone already paid more than an MP, and this time simply for walking away.”

“Most New Zealanders don’t get paid for quitting and public servants on top-tier salaries certainly shouldn’t. It’s outrageous and it chips away at any remaining trust in the system.”

“Enough is enough. The Government must ban exit payouts for public servants paid more than an MP. If you’re on a premium salary, there’s no reason for taxpayers to fund a golden goodbye.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that risk aversion is undermining the principle of free and frank advice within the public service.

Internal comments from the Public Service Commission’s Public Service Census 2025 has shown senior leaders are becoming increasingly hesitant to provide honest, unbiased, unvarnished advice to Ministers, which is resulting in decisions based on incomplete or misrepresented facts.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“New Zealand’s public service has, over seven pages, shown it is afraid to give Ministers the tough advice they need. Instead of free and frank communication, we’re seeing risk-averse staff tailoring advice to what they think Ministers want to hear, or what senior staff tell them to.”

“Ministers are being given advice that fits their political views, rather than the facts they need to make informed decisions. This is a recipe for failure, and taxpayers will be the ones who pay the price.”

“The public service must return to providing honest and independent advice. It’s time to stop shaping advice to please Ministers and start presenting the truth, no matter how uncomfortable for the sake of better decision-making.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is celebrating today’s announcement of a future rates cap as a win for ratepayers but says the Government risks neutering the policy by pushing it years down the road.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“More than 30,000 Kiwis backed our call to Cap Rates Now, so today’s commitment is a big step in the right direction. Cumulatively, over the last three years, the average rates hike is an incredible 34.52 percent. Over the same timeframe, inflation has been just 13.7 percent. Rates capping will finally force councils to focus on essentials and give households certainty.”

“But Minister Watts is leaving the door wide open for councils to jack up rates before the cap arrives. Asking councils to 'be responsible' before the cap is legally enforceable will not work.  It invites a final spree of increases as they scramble to lock in a higher baseline.”

“Stretching this out to 2029 means National would need to win not just one, but potentially two elections before the cap actually applies. That gives the Opposition years to campaign against it, and gives lobby groups like LGNZ plenty of time, and ratepayers’ money, to run interference.”

“Our question to the Government is simple: why wait until 2029? Many councils are setting their Long Term Plans prior to June next year, so the cap should come into force within months, not years.”

Labour’s use of a Parliamentary Service–funded social media advisor to produce political content at its party conference raises serious questions about how public money is being used.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“Parliamentary staff are funded to support MPs in their official work. Turning up at a party conference to generate political content isn’t part of the job. It’s an inappropriate use of public money.”

“If Labour wants promotional videos and social clips for its conference, it should pay for them from party funds. Taxpayers shouldn’t be covering the cost.”

“And ironically, it’s Scrutiny Week. This is a textbook example of the kind of thing that should be getting a hard look.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming Finance Minister Barbara Edmonds’ comments over the weekend that she will prioritise fiscal consolidation and getting the Government’s books back in order.

Taxpayers’ Union Spokesperson, Tory Relf, said:

“New Zealand can’t keep running the country on the credit card. It’s an encouraging sign to hear a possible future Finance Minister talking about balancing the books, but talk is the easy part.”

“Prime Minister Luxon wanted to avoid a sugar hit but Nicola Willis is still spending more today than when Grant Robertson left office. Anyone who claims the solution is higher taxes rather than trimming back wasteful spending hasn’t been paying attention to what households and businesses are already dealing with.”

“It's going to take line by line inspection throughout the Budget, cutting programmes that aren’t delivering, and stopping the habit of throwing money at problems in the hope they go away to get back to surplus. With Government debt now over $142,000 per household, more tax hikes are not the answer. Wellington finally needs to learn to live within its means.”

Dear Supporter,

This week we've got a new briefing paper for you, an update on that Ngāi Tahu story, Porirua as our Ratepayer Heroes, and more.

This is How to Cap Rates Now 🧢📘

Back in June, we launched the Cap Rates Now campaign and more than 31,000 ratepayers answered the call and signed up to support the campaign. Since then, the campaign has snowballed. So if you're someone who has shared social media posts, put up a "Cap Rates Now" roadside banner, or joined us in protest outside the Local Government New Zealand conference, (where Local Government Minister Simon Watts promised a rates cap by Christmas) thank you for your support.

And, fast forward to this week: Minister Watts and Minister Chris Bishop announced a major change to local government (more on that below) but it wasn’t the rates cap we were promised. The clock’s ticking, and with 34% average rates rises over the last three years, we need action now.

Our team has been working behind the scenes, meeting with Minister Watts and many others to push for the changes we need. And this week we released How to Cap Rates Now – our policy briefing paper that outlines exactly how the Minister can keep his promise and cap rates before next year’s budget.

In short, ratepayers need:

✅ Capping rates before councils set their 2026/27 budgets

✅ Making sure the rates cap covers all local government revenue (no sneaky fees and workarounds!)

✅ Linking the cap to day-to-day inflation but accounting for population growth

✅ Ensuring ratepayers have the final say, not bureaucrats

✅ Refunding any oversized rates bills (over and above the caps) directly to ratepayers

Minister Watts’ time is running out. Our briefing paper lays out the steps to make sure rates are capped fairly and effectively. You can read the paper here.

Christchurch’s $1.36m “Consultation” Loop 🚨

As the team exposed this week, Christchurch City Council has spent $1.36 million paying a Ngāi Tahu-owned consultancy to advise the Council on how to engage with… Ngāi Tahu.

I don’t need to be an accountant to see the problem there...

Ratepayers are effectively being charged so the Council can be told how to talk to the very same groups that own the consultancy. No tendering, no transparency, and so far, no acceptance from the Council that they need to release the invoices.

It’s a cosy arrangement that needs transparency.

Yesterday I joined The Platform to push the Council for answers.

And, if this is happening in Christchurch, could it also be happening elsewhere? Our confidential tip-line is always open...

Sunlight really is the disinfectant here, and your tips are often how we get onto these rorts waste stories.

A fine line between fair road charges and unfair new taxes 🚘

Austin, my favourite (our only!) Policy Analyst, wrote this great piece in The Post about the Government's new road charging reforms.

New Zealand is about to enter a new era of road charging with congestion pricing and expanded tolling powers, but as Austin points out, these reforms will only be fair if two key principles are followed: (1) congestion charges must be revenue-neutral, and (2) tolls must remain user-pays.

👉 Read Austin’s op-ed over on The Post. 👈

Congestion pricing has proven successful overseas in managing demand (i.e. reducing traffic at peak times) and therefore boosting productivity. But it’s important that any money raised is used to offset other road user charges, not to create an additional financial burden on drivers.

On the other hand, tolling works when it's clear drivers pay for what they use. However, the Government's new Parliamentary Bill threatens to stretch this principle by charging drivers for roads they don't use or have already paid for through fuel taxes. It lets the Government clip the ticket twice and use a toll on roadway X to fund maintenance of roadway Y. 

We say that asking drivers to pay twice, and funnelling toll road money away from the roads being tolled is just a sneaky way to raise taxes, not improve infrastructure.

Labour’s promise of *free* taxpayer funded GP policy isn’t even backed by Labour voters 🤦‍♀️

Our latest Taxpayers’ Union–Curia poll landed in The Post this week, and the results are awkward for Chris  Hipkins.

A clear majority of Labour voters (57 percent) say GP subsidies should be targeted to low- and middle-income New Zealanders, not handed out universally to every adult regardless of income. Only 35 percent backed Labour’s universal free-GP plan.

Younger voters and Auckland lean more universal, but everywhere else — especially Wellington — the public want health funding aimed where it actually makes a difference.

Hardly surprising when long waits and GP shortages are the reality for so many.

The kicker? Labour’s own supporters also reject the idea of taxing capital gains that is simply inflation. Nearly seven in ten say any capital gains tax must apply only to real gains, not phantom (nominal) increases.

As an MP commented to me this week, "One more poll til Christmas!"🎄

No more hidden spending – let’s Open the Books! 💥

This week Mariameno Kapa-Kingi’s expenses back under the microscope, and once again, we’re reminded that MPs are able to hide their spending from the public – unlike Ministers or most Government agencies. 

I was amazed when I got to New Zealand and realised MPs' expenses aren’t subject to the Official Information Act, so they’re free to mark their own homework.

If MPs want to prove they’re truly accountable to taxpayers, they need to close this loophole and bring their spending out of the shadows.

MPs should face the same transparency standards as Ministers. We already know how this works in other countries like the UK, where – after a series of massive scandals over what, exactly, MPs were spending money on – full disclosure of expenses is now the norm. Why should New Zealand be different?

Want MPs to stop hiding behind closed doors? Head over to OpenTheBooks.nz and add your name to our petition to make full transparency the rule, not the exception.

✍️ Sign the petition to force MPs to Open the Books.

This week's Ratepayer Hero is whoever organised Porirua City Council’s swearing-in 🎂🦸‍♀️

Checking up on how councils spend ratepayer money is always insightful, and with the swearing-in of all new councillors now complete, the comparison between Porirua and Wellington City Council’s swearing-in ceremonies is a perfect example of how to (and how not to) use ratepayer funds.

Porirua City Council held its swearing-in ceremony and spent less than one-fifth of what Wellington City Council forked out for theirs. In fact, Porirua’s entire event cost less than Wellington's catering budget alone – making them this week’s Ratepayer Heroes.

While Wellington decided to roll out the red carpet (and a hefty price tag), Porirua kept it simple, showing that you don’t need to blow the budget to hold a dignified event.

{{recipient.first_name_or_friend}}, this is a classic case of what we’re always advocating against. Why should one council spend frivolously when another is getting the same result for a fraction of the cost?

It shouldn’t be too much to ask to hold every council to the same standards.

Have a great weekend ☺️

Tory Relf Head of Comms New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that Health NZ have spent up to $3,475,054 on the annual salaries of 13.7 full time roles dedicated to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and Environmental causes.

With titles such as “Diversity and Inclusion Lead”, “Clinical Sustainability Liaison” and “LGBQTIA+ Lead”, the 13.7 roles include 4 DEI and 9.7 Sustainability positions that are explicitly non-health focused. In addition, Health NZ has a number of roles that include culture in their job description but also include "health needs," which haven't been released

Taxpayers’ Union Investigation Coordinator Rhys Hurley, said:

“The government cannot afford public service jobs that fail to serve taxpayers. It’s basic maths. Taxpayers expect their money to fund the important services, not the ideological ones.”

"This goes far beyond environmental or diversity concerns. New Zealand apparently can't afford to pay for more nurses and doctors but can afford these roles at the expense of patients."

“Minister Willis must make it clear that taxpayers can not continue to fund DEI and similar ideological positions if she expects to fulfil her promise of growing the economy by cutting spending.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the revelation that Waka Kotahi NZTA has so far spent $24.2 million on consultants, including a $535-an-hour consultant as part of the ever-delayed National Ticketing System.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“17 years in and the National Ticketing System is barely off the starting blocks. This $650-per-household project is years behind schedule, even though the public have been footing consultant bills for up to $535 an hour.”

“How many more cost blowouts and missed deadlines does this project need before the government pulls the pin? The Greens are right to call out this ongoing rip-off.”

“It’s time for the Minister of Transport to re-scope this project. Shifting to just implementing a tried-and-tested PayWave model, while still allowing existing discounts cards, isn’t admitting failure but a common-sense win for taxpayers.”

The Taxpayers' Union has today released a new paper, How to Cap Rates Now, providing a benchmark for the Minister of Local Government to use in formulating the rates cap policy promised by Christmas. This follows the strong backing of over 30,000 New Zealanders who signed the Cap Rates Now petition and Minister Watts' commitment to having policy announced before Christmas.

Tory Relf, spokesperson for the Taxpayers' Union, said:

“With rates rising on average 34 percent in the last three years, the Government can’t afford to wait. Councils are already drafting their 2026/27 budgets, and unless a cap is put in place now, they’ll lock in higher baselines that households will be stuck with for years.”

“With Local Government New Zealand trying to de-fang this policy, wee have set out what an effective cap must look like. It must cover all local government revenue so councils can’t simply change their method of picking ratepayers' pockets. It should be tied to inflation, account for population growth so councils aren’t punished for growing communities, and make sure ratepayers — not bureaucrats — remain in control of major decisions.”

“We’re also calling for safeguards so councils can’t use emergencies as an excuse to lock in permanently higher rates, and for any oversized rates hikes to be refunded directly back to the people who paid them.”

"A bottom line is an inflation measure that isn't based on council's own inefficiency. We already have measures for inflation (the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index) that are objective and transparent."

“New Zealanders have been clear: they want real relief from skyrocketing rates. Our proposal gives the Minister everything he needs to act quickly and deliver a genuine, comprehensive cap that protects Kiwis from further cost increases.”

The full report can be read or downloaded above.

Responding to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s decision to cut the OCR by 25 basis points, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:

“With the economy grinding to a halt, calls to bring the OCR down below 2.5 percent have been growing. New Zealand isn’t in a normal dip in the cycle."

"This is a drawn-out recession that needs both monetary and fiscal action. The Bank had previously been slow to recognise that, and the Government has kept spending at levels that continue to fuel inflation. Now, at least, the Reserve Bank has finally accepted New Zealand's economic reality and lowered the OCR further.”

“But the OCR cut isn't enough on its own. Taxpayers’ Union–Curia polling last month found 58 percent of New Zealanders want Nicola Willis to cut low-priority spending, with just 11 percent opposed. Yet Government spending as a share of the economy is still higher than when Grant Robertson left office. Overspending is keeping inflation sticky and stopping the deeper OCR cuts needed to get the economy moving again.”

“We’re now seeing the effects of high spending, weak growth, and inflationary pressure piling on top of each other. If the Minister of Finance wants to relieve the pressure, she needs to do what she was elected to do and start cutting the waste.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Government’s plan to remove regional councils but warns that any reform must genuinely cut bureaucracy, and focus must remain on the  ultimate cost to ratepayers.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, Tory Relf, said:

“With regional councils on the way out, there’s a real chance to cut back the bureaucracy and reduce the cost piled onto ratepayers. We support that goal, but it only works if the changes are genuine.”

“That can’t mean shifting the same responsibilities and the same staff into district councils and pretending that’s reform. And it certainly can’t mean creating new roles or bodies in a manner that isn't democratically accountable. Ratepayers need less bureaucracy, not a reshuffle from one layer to another.”

“The real win for households will come from firm commitments to rates capping, limiting the cost of local government to the ratepayer. We look forward to the Minister following through on the promise of a clear rates capping policy by Christmas.”

New Zealanders were asked which policies they supported to boost New Zealand's economic prospects in this Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll, conducted between 01 and 05 October 2025,

Voters are supportive for tax cuts, spending cuts, and boosting openness to foreign students and investment, while being more sceptical of selling commercial shares and evenly split on mining and immigration.

Respondents were asked to answer whether they support, oppose, were neutral or unsure for each of a laundry-list of pro-growth policies. The full poll results can be found at www.taxpayers.org.nz/econ_issues1025

Total net support (support minus opposition) for each policy:

• More tourism: +64 percent
• More international students: +54 percent
• Reduce low priority spending: +47 percent
• Lower personal tax rates: +39 percent
• More foreign investment: +18 percent
• Lower company tax rate: +10 percent
• More mining: -1 percent
• More immigration: -2 percent
• Selling commercial company shares: -20 percent

Commenting on the poll results, Taxpayers' Union spokesman James Ross said:

"The majority of voters of all parties, in all regions, and of all ages want the Government to scrap wasteful spending. If the public is so clearly calling for less waste, why is Government spending still a greater share of the economy than when Labour left office?"

"Growth needs tax cuts and spending cuts. Voters clearly want both. Yet despite the Government having this clear mandate for growth, the economy keeps shrinking. GDP fell nearly one percent just last quarter, and GDP per capita is still lower than when Labour left office."

"With only a year until the next election it's time for this Government to deliver what they were elected for."

Responding to The Post article published today revealing that Porirua City Council spent less than a fifth on their inauguration compared to Wellington City Council, the Taxpayers’ Union says fiscal management like this should be compared and commemorated.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson, Tory Relf, said:

“Porirua City Council spent $8,000 compared to Wellington City Council’s almost $37,000, for an almost identical event. The difference covers plants, an excessive catering bill, and audio equipment that was beyond their needs. It’s simply ridiculous.”

“Over-spending this early into the new term is blatantly irresponsible of Wellington City Council. It laughs in the face of new mayor Andrew Little’s winning campaign of ‘reigning in council spending’, and his decision to decline commenting means he knows it.”

“One council proved their commitment to financial accountability for the sake of their community and the other did not. One event was described as ‘lavish’ and the other ‘low-key’. If Andrew Little is truly committed to his campaign promises he needs to be putting the money where his mouth is.”

In response to the latest story about Maruameno Kapa-Kingi’s expenses, the Taxpayers’ Union is repeating its call for proper transparency over MPs’ expenses by asking Parliament to Open the Books.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“When MPs expenses aren’t subject to Official Information Act requests, it leaves them effectively marking their own homework. If MPs want to show they take accountability seriously they should close this loophole and make full disclosure of expenses the norm, as they do in other countries.”

“We’re calling on Parliament once again to Open the Books by bringing all MPs’ expenses under the Official Information Act, ensuring they are held to the same standard of transparency as Ministers.”

The petition to Open the Books on MPs' expenses can be found at openthebooks.nz.

New Taxpayers’ Union-Curia polling shows significant public opposition to Labour’s decision to tax nominal capital gains, including from Labour voters themselves. 

61 percent of New Zealanders think any Capital Gains Tax (CGT) should be based only on real, inflation-adjusted gains, not nominal increases. Only 39 percent support taxing nominal gains.  

Among Labour’s own supporters, 69 percent say a CGT should apply only to real gains, compared to just 31 percent who say it should also apply to nominal gains.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, James Ross, said: 

“After a year of workshopping, Labour have somehow produced a new tax that even their own voters know is wildly unfair.” 

“Chris Hipkins promised a more open, member-driven policy process. Yet not only do Labour voters not back Hipkins’ inflation tax, they are the most opposed to the policy of any party’s voters.” 

“More than half of the capital gains on housing over the last ten years have just been inflation, largely caused by government overspending. Most people can clearly see that causing inflation then taxing people for it simply isn’t fair.” 

Responding to the Newsroom piece published today revealing that Nicola Willis has, again, requested public service bosses to examine their spending to see where savings can be made, the Taxpayers’ Union says Ministers need to do their job and 'take back control' for the sake of taxpayers.

The Union's Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said:

"Asking bureaucrats to cut their own spending is asking turkeys to vote for an early Christmas. Savings offered up will be minuscule, or deliberately designed to be politically painful. Despite what some believe, public sector bosses aren't idiots: they will resist reducing the size of their own fiefdoms."

"This is déjà vu. The Minister of Finance tried the same strategy for Budget 2024 and Budget 2025. Both actually increased Grant Robertson's so-called 'addiction to spending' which Willis had promised to tackle. Why will the results be any different this time around?"

"Spending prioritisation should sit with Ministers, not shuffled on down to CEOs. With Treasury sounding the fiscal klaxons, now is the time for Ministerial razor gangs, not fiscal pillow fights."

"But most concerningly, even when savings are sent to Willis's office, they appear to be ignored. Last week Stuff reported that Associate Minister of Finance, David Seymour, identified more than $3 billion in the lead up to Budget 2025, but Willis rejected all but four percent of the proposed savings."

"The Government's total failure to follow through on its promise to reduce the size of government has seen per-person GDP lower now than when it was elected into office, with Government spending even higher as a proportion of the economy and continuing to fuel the cost of living crisis."

"Who is actually controlling public finances in New Zealand – the elected Ministers or the unelected bureaucrats? Willis makes it hard to tell, and the electorate is sensing that."

The time taken to deliver Andrew Coster's dismissal letter, has cost taxpayers $15,000 (and counting) according to a new real-time cost calculator launched by the Taxpayers' Union at https://costlycoster.nz/.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams said:

"We all know the public service takes its time, but given the context, Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche should not be waiting around. There can be no golden handshake - nor a slow walked process that sees Andrew Coster get paid out while on garden leave."

"The disgraced former Police Commissioner is taking home $1,500 a day as he sits waiting for the inevitable sacking as head of the Social Investment Agency. Most taxpayers would consider that a disgrace."

"Sir Brian Roche should have cut off Coster within hours of receiving the IPCA report. Instead, Sir Brian waited 10 days - until the report became public - to suspend Coster. Now Coster is on the pig's back as the process is slow walked. It brings the whole public service into disrepute."

"This case demonstrates everything wrong in the public sector – where CEOs are paid the big bucks - including as they exit."

"Sir Brian's job is to uphold standards across the public service – he needs to hurry up and do it!”

The Taxpayers' Union is calling on Nicola Willis to publicly explain why she has continued Labour's trajectory of increased government spending despite the $3 billion of proposed savings from her Associate Minister of Finance, David Seymour, as revealed by Stuff today.

Nicola Willis tasked David Seymour to find savings, to get what Willis called Grant Robertson's 'addiction to spending' under control. According to Stuff, Seymour delivered the goods: some $3 billion of savings and efficiencies.

Responding to the report, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams, said:

"Instead of following through on National's promises to get spending under control, Nicola Willis broke her word. Less than four percent of the identified savings were actioned, and even those were simply reallocated to increased spending elsewhere."

"Overall Nicola Willis is spending more now than when Grant Robertson left office. Now, some six months after the Budget, we learn that David Seymour gave her the answers, but she threw them in the dustbin."

“The biggest economic anchor right now isn't Donald Trump or trade barriers, it's Nicola Willis and the burden of super-sized government spending."

“The Treasury is sounding the alarm about current policy settings being unsustainable. Seymour should be congratulated for being a Minister coming up with answers."

“The public’s sinking opinion of the Government reflects growing disillusionment with its financial and economic management. The only short-term options open to the Government are to significantly reduce Government expenditure in Budget 2026 and lend some credibility to its forecasts of a surplus and ability to turn the ship of state around.”

"If Willis couldn't stomach Seymour's fiscal lunch, her job was to find alternative savings. Instead she's fudged her promise to taxpayers to get spending under control."

The New Zealand Taxpayers Union is praising the Masterton District Council for following the Ombudsman’s advice and opening council workshops to the public and live streaming these sessions online.

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

“The days of closed-door meetings excluding ratepayers from key debates and decisions should be over. Transparency is key to democratically accountable local government and rebuilding trust with the community.”

“The Ombudsman’s guidance was clear that council workshops were being used to dodge accountability. Well done to Masterton for putting residents first and doing the right thing.”

“Councillor Jamie Falloon signed the Taxpayers’ Union’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge to promote transparency, and fair play to him for delivering on his promise to voters. He’s set an example that councillors across the country who also signed the pledge can follow.” 

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger’s push for more information on the Council’s $1.36 million spend on a Māori consultancy firm, saying it is a positive step toward transparency but warns the public still hasn’t been shown the documents that matter.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Rhys Hurley said:

“It’s good to see the Mayor saying he wants clearer information and less money spent on consultants. Ratepayers deserve to know exactly what they’re getting for $1.36 million, and transparency starts with putting the invoices and deliverables on the table.”

“Where exactly is the commercial sensitivity in invoices for work that has already been completed and paid for? Ratepayers can see the number and they deserve to see what the money bought.”

“The Ombudsman has been very clear that ‘commercial sensitivity’ is not a blanket excuse to hide spending. The test is strict, and councils are expected to justify withholding line-by-line breakdowns under the carve out.”

“It’s great the Mayor is pushing for more openness, but words alone aren't sufficient. He should instruct staff to publish the invoices, scope of work, and outcomes. If the spending is defensible, there is nothing to hide.” 

The Taxpayers’ Union is congratulating Christchurch City Council for refusing to buy Te Pae, as new reporting shows the convention centre continues to run at a $3.4 million loss, leaving taxpayers exposed.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Rhys Hurley said:

“Christchurch Council deserves real credit for not getting dragged into owning a convention centre that still can’t pay its own way. Councillors saw the risk and walked away, and that decision is looking smarter by the day.”

“Central Government shouldn’t be carrying the financial can forever. If the centre can succeed commercially, then it should be owned commercially. If it can’t, taxpayers from across the country shouldn’t be forced to subsidise it.”

“Selling lemon Te Pae would protect taxpayers, bring proper commercial discipline and end the political temptation to prop it up. Christchurch made the right call, now the Government needs to follow suit.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming today’s announcement of a new Cook Strait ferry plan that finally brings the project back under control. Rail Minister Rt Hon. Winston Peters has confirmed an overall cost of $1.86 billion for two new rail-enabled ferries, $2.3 billion lower than the previous $4 billion mega-project.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, Rhys Hurley said:

“This is a much more sensible and affordable plan than the multi billion-dollar blowout under the previous iReX scheme. Credit where it’s due, cutting out the gold-plating, resetting the scope, and forcing a return to basic value-for-money has saved taxpayers from a catastrophe.”

“Today’s announcement shows what happens when officials, ports, and ministers stop dreaming and start delivering. A fixed-price ship contract, maximum reuse of existing infrastructure, and a focus on getting the basics right is exactly what taxpayers expect.”

“However the core issue remains untouched: even a well-managed $1.86 billion programme is still enormous. The long-term answer isn’t for governments to buy new ferries every 30 years, with Bluebridge already demonstrating tjhat the private sector can run the Cook Strait perfectly well.”

“Today’s announcement is a big improvement, but the real win for taxpayers will be when the ferries are no longer a political project at all.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers Union is calling out the 15.53 percent salary increase for councillors at Tauranga City Council at a time when rates bills continue to spiral. Councillors will now be paid an average of $163,000 a year, while Mayor Mahé Drysdale receives $193,402.

Taxpayers Union spokesperson Rhys Hurley said:

“From $200,000 on a short video to a new $45 million HQ, council has already loaded the ratepayer tab up with as much spending as possible. Ratepayers were hit with an average 35.98% rates rise last term, so can it really be called sensible to line up some of the same people responsible for a 15 percent pay hike?”

“Tauranga City Council’s own website states being a councillor is a 3-day-a-week part time job, yet councillors are being paid almost the same as Members of Parliament. How can anyone justify that lack of respect for ratepayers’ pockets?“

"Councillors should pay back salary increases until ballooning council costs are under control. Councillors must focus on core services before rewarding themselves with massive pay increases and lavish premises.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that millions of dollars in business start-up grants handed out by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) have resulted in large numbers of recipients returning to a benefit within two years.

MSD spent $38,512,555.69 on Flexi-Wage Self-Employment support and Business Training and Advice Grants, yet hundreds of recipients returned to a benefit with no tracking of how many businesses survive.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“MSD’s monitoring of the multi million dollar programme is so poor that it cannot say whether it is providing value for taxpayers’ money. If a private lender operated like this they would be out of business in a week.”

"A report published by MSD only last year found that "many participants struggled to establish a viable business" and "only a minority of participants earned any income. Surely that should’ve been the sign to start tracking whether this money was actually helping."

“Throwing money at feel-good schemes without checking whether these businesses succeed is not helping people into long-term work. It is setting them up to fail, then pushing them straight back onto a benefit.”

“Beneficiaries deserve better than a programme where MSD cannot even say whether these businesses still exist a year later. If they can’t target this scheme to offer proper support, they need to scrap it and focus on pathways to employment that work."

Responding to the Government’s move to slash Clean Car Standard charges, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross says the scheme should be scrapped, not salvaged.

“The Standard has been a mess since day one. Labour originally set targets tougher than the EU, Japan, and South Korea. Importers were always going to miss them, and when you can’t meet a target, the ‘penalties’ are just another tax. Families, farmers, and tradies have been paying the price.”

“Charges don't help the climate one iota. Transport emissions are already capped under the Emissions Trading Scheme, and drivers pay for it with every litre at the pump. The less efficient the vehicle, the more they already pay. Any emissions the Standard claims to save just pop up elsewhere.”

“Cutting the charges is a start, but the whole scheme was doomed from the outset. Minister Bishop should do the obvious thing and scrap it entirely.”

Responding to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s comments in the Sunday Star Times that New Zealand needs a more mature conversation about asset sales, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:

“Hanging on to underperforming assets makes no sense. Why put off conversations we need to start having now?”

“Treasury’s latest Investment Statement makes the need for this national conversation obvious. Many state-owned commercial assets don’t even have a basic objective for why they’re still in government hands. That lack of strategy leaves us trailing our international peers, so it’s no wonder taxpayers are getting such poor returns.”

“State ownership of many assets seems to be little more than an accident of history, with no serious discussion about whether it should continue. Treasury deserves credit for its ongoing work to clarify what’s worth keeping.”

“The Government needs to strengthen its balance sheet and overall finances. Working with Treasury to identify assets with weak or no rationale for continued ownership is a necessary step toward that.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request that Christchurch City Council has paid $1,359,152.83 (GST exc.) to Mahaanui Kurataiao over the past three financial years under an ongoing funding arrangement with the six Ngãi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga within the area.

Council has refused to provide a cost breakdown under LGOIMA sections 7(2)(b)(ii) and 7(2)(h) to protect the "commercial position" and "commercial activities" of this spending.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“Ratepayers are being kept in the dark while over a million dollars flows to a single consultancy group.”

"Everything from regulatory decisions to advising council on Ngai Tahu values is being used to get more out of ratepayers."

“The Council’s refusal to release invoices isn't about commercial sensitivity but a lack of transparency over where this money is actually going.”

“Over the same time Christchurch residents have faced average rates rises of nearly 25 percent, they deserve to know why such large sums are being handed out without proper public scrutiny.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Minister’s commitment to a fair, user-pays approach to transport funding, but warns against the Government’s new “corridor tolling” proposal slipping into a new tax.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, James Ross, said:

“Tolling and congestion charging to manage peak-time pressure and pay for new roads make sense when they’re fair and revenue-neutral. By any honest definition, that means cutting Road User Charges to offset the new costs facing commuters.”

“International examples like Singapore show a light-touch system can keep traffic flowing without hammering households, and it makes tax relief through reduced RUCs realistic.”

"If the Government wants taxpayers on side for these reforms, it needs to stay true to its current approach. Keep charges low, keep them revenue-neutral, and charge people only for the infrastructure they actually use. The moment corridor tolling charges drivers for roads they don’t use, it stops being user-pays."

Commenting on today’s release of the Review of Retirement Income Policies 2025 by the Retirement Commission, James Ross of the Taxpayers’ Union said: “This is another warning shot across the Government’s bow.”

“Continued deficit spending means current policies are shifting more of the costs of supporting pensioners on to future generations. The Retirement Commission are right to call for productivity growth, and highlight the need to avoid higher taxes or increased debt.”

“Treasury’s three stewardship reports this year have been clear; our current trajectory is unsustainable. Persistent budget deficits, borrowing, and a growing debt pile threaten our economic stability. While the Retirement Commission were a bit more gentle in their critiques, they’re clearly pointing out the same risks.”

“The sooner policies are changed, the less dramatic the changes need to be. With Government spending still higher than when Labour left office, now is the time to be serious about getting spending under control.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union says the latest job cuts at Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) are the inevitable result of years of executive-level overspending affecting the frontline.

The Taxpayers’ Union revelealed in September that FENZ employed:

• A Chief Executive being paid $503,000
• 7 Deputy Chief Executives, for a total $2.37 million
• 800 managers and support staff

Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman, Rhys Hurley, said:

“These cuts are the direct result of years of empire building and waste at the top. FENZ has been spending millions on communications teams, HR staff, and consultants while one in four fire trucks rust in sheds or break down on call.”

“Every dollar of the $3 million in remuneration for the top brass is a dollar that’s not spent on the frontline firefighters who save lives and protect our communities. These cuts prove that FENZ’s funding problem isn’t the amount of money it gets, it’s how it’s being spent.”

“This proposal must target the number of overpaid top jobs within fire and emergency. There’s no reason frontline firefighters should pay the price for management’s failure to control spending.”

NEW POLL: Centre-Right lead, Labour largest party, Seymour sees boost

Good news for the Coalition as they regain the lead in this month's Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll, conducted between 02 and 06 November – the first major national poll since Labour's capital gains tax policy announcement.

Despite the lead for the coalition, the poll shows Labour still keeps its spot as the largest party, gaining 2.1 points to 33.3 percent. National gained 0.6 points to 30.2 percent.

The Greens drop 2.8 points to 9.2 percent, while New Zealand First drops 1.5 points to 9.1 percent. ACT gains 2.0 points to 8.6 percent, while Te Pāti Māori drops 1.1 points to 3.3 percent.

Headline results and more information about the methodology can be found on the Taxpayers' Union's website at www.taxpayers.org.nz/tucurpoll_nov2025

For the minor parties, NZ Outdoors and Freedom was on 1.5 percent, TOP was on 1.2 percent, New Conservatives on 1.2 percent, and Vision NZ on 0.4 percent.

This month's results are compared to the last Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll conducted in October 2025, available at www.taxpayers.org.nz/2025polloct_taxpcur

The combined projected seats for the Centre-Right is up 3 to 62 seats. The combined seats for the Centre-Left is down 1 to 60. On these numbers, the Centre-Right bloc could form a Government.

Labour gains 2 seats to 42, while National gains 1 seat to 39. The Greens drop 3 seats to 12, while New Zealand First drops 1 seat to 12. ACT gains 3 seats to 11, while Te Pāti Māori remain unchanged on 6.

Christopher Luxon has reclaimed the top spot as Preferred Prime Minister, rising 1.0 point to 20.8 percent. Chris Hipkins fell 0.3 points to 20.6 percent. Winston Peters is on 8.5 percent (-1.4 points), Chlöe Swarbrick is on 4.1 percent (-2.2 points), and David Seymour is on 7.7 percent (+3.7 points).

Luxon's net favourability continues to be negative at -10 percent (+4 points), and Hipkins remains negative at -2 percent (nc). Peters is on 2 percent (+5 points), while Seymour jumps 16 points to -11 percent.

Commenting on the results, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman Jordan Williams said:

"This poll will come as a relief for the Government. After a series of policy announcement by Labour, it appears to be gobbling up support from it's likely partner the Greens, rather than taking votes from the coalition."

"The much hyped capital gains tax appears to have caused a ripple, rather than a wave."

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling for Public Service Commissioner Brian Roche to immediately sack the Social Investment Agency's CEO, Andrew Coster and rule out a golden handshake or exit payout. This follows revelations that the former Police Commissioner “lacks integrity” and “lacks leadership”, according to current Police Commissioner Richard Chambers. Coster is currently on garden leave as CEO of the Social Investment Agency, and receiving full pay.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams said:

“Every hour Andrew Coster remains on the public payroll is a disgrace.”

 “He’s on similar pay to the Prime Minister, despite being exposed as totally unfit for leadership. The public service is treating taxpayers like fools, and Brian Roche is letting it happen."

”Under Coster’s watch, a victim was charged with harassment, while a secret protocol was implemented to hide information from the Police Minister. The IPCA even say that then-Commissioner Coster attempted to influence the nature and extent of their investigation."

"These are not technical slip-ups, they were serious abuses of trust. Yet, rather than being shown the door, Coster continues to enjoy full pay on garden leave. It's a slap in the face to victims."

“This is exactly what’s wrong with New Zealand’s bloated and unaccountable bureaucracy. “When ordinary Kiwis fail at their jobs, they get marched out the door. When top bureaucrats fail, even spectacularly, they get months of paid leave and more often than not a payout."

"Roche needs to front up to media this morning and assure taxpayers that there will be no payout, no golden goodbye, and no soft landing for Coster funded that costs taxpayers."

”Current laws prevent Ministers from firing senior officials who’ve lost public confidence without costly payouts."

"The Taxpayers' Union says that to improve public sector accountability, those laws need to change."

On Friday, Treasury’s latest Investment Statement delivered yet another warning that the Government’s current fiscal path isn’t sustainable. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:

“Treasury saying the Government’s balance sheet is heading for deterioration is not-so-subtle code for living well beyond our means. Spending will keep growing far faster than revenue, and there’s no plan to bring things back under control.”

“We’re watching the Government walk straight down the same dark path Britain has taken. Britain’s response to a budget crisis has been to hammer taxpayers, pushing investment and high earners overseas, and trapping the economy in a downward spiral. New Zealand can’t afford to repeat that mistake.”

“Spending is still higher than when the last Government left office, even after Labour’s spending blowout. The Finance Minister still won’t make the hard calls to right the ship. If Minister Willis won’t listen to Treasury’s warnings, the obvious question is: who is she listening to?”

The Taxpayers’ Union is criticising the Government’s decision to spend $6.3 million to bring the Michelin Guide to New Zealand, calling it a lavish subsidy for top-tier restaurants.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross, said:

“At a time when the Government are trying to find savings and Kiwis are battling through a cost-of-living crisis, chucking $6.3 million away so fine diners can get a Michelin star dinner is a bad look.”

“Gambling on tens of thousands of visitors deciding to hop on a long-haul flight for their next meal is not responsible spending. It’s even more bizarre for Tourism New Zealand to fritter away millions, barely a year after slapping the sort of tax hike on international visitors which stops people holidaying here.”

“If the Government wants to support tourism and hospitality, there are far better ways to do that which benefit the whole economy. For starters, capping rates, which would provide relief for one of businesses’ fasting growing cost increases.”

In response to Wairarapa council leaders’ complaints about pay scales, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross asked, “If the pay is so unfair, why do so many people want to be on councils?”

“If councillors want to reduce their workload, they should focus on the basics: roads, pipes, parks, and recreation. Finding new ways to waste ratepayers’ money isn’t justification for a pay rise.”

“It’s hard to take these complaints seriously when all four councils raised rates by 25 to 45 percent over the last three years. Stop hitting ratepayers before asking for more money.”

“Councils should be streamlining processes as standard practice. That means using new technology like large language models (AI) to assist with research, but also making sure that officials don’t drag their feet on providing timely information.”

“The Remuneration Authority sets elected members’ base pay to try and take the politics out of remuneration. While not perfect, it’s far better than councillors being allowed to mark their own homework.”

Winston Peters’ diplomatic “gift horse” Stamina from Mongolia has turned into quite the spectacle, although not for the reasons you might expect. Thanks to a tip off and subsequent Official Information Act (OIA) responses (which can be read here and here), we now know that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spent a solid five days on what can only be described as a game of “What Do We Do With This Horse?”

An email chain involving 14 (!!!) MFAT officials reveals a whole lot of back-and-forth on issues like what to name the horse (eventually landing on Stamina, which they must have needed a lot of to get through this process), how to handle the paperwork, and just generally what to do with this unusual diplomatic gift. It’s an impressive display of the burden of bureaucracy in action.

With the average Wellington bureaucrat earning around $48.50 an hour, that’s a fair chunk of change spent on horse names, file handling, and, presumably, ensuring that Stamina’s paperwork was in tip-top shape. Five days spent working on a horse’s paperwork doesn’t exactly scream “efficient government spending,” does it?

Of course, the documents released to the public are heavily redacted, which only adds fuel to the fire. It’s hard not to wonder whether the full, unedited version might reveal even more comedic gems hidden beneath all the red ink.

Entrepreneur and Crimson Education founder Jamie Beaton joins Taxpayer Talk to discuss his extensive academic career, including his 11 degrees, and to offer a strong policy critique advocating for replacing the NCEA high school qualification with a more rigorous, globally standardized system.

Responding to David Seymour’s comments on selling down the Government’s stake in major electricity companies, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“Seymour is asking the right questions. Why should the Crown own billions in shares in major electricity companies? We accept the Government doesn’t need to own fuel or telco businesses, so why should it own electricity companies?”

“Government ownership of these companies is outdated, withholding funds that could be better used elsewhere. It's time to free up the sector and allow private investment to take charge.”

“Partial sales worked before, delivering efficiency and better returns. The coalition must listen to Seymour’s call and sell down these assets to prioritise taxpayer interests, rather than holding onto assets for the sake of ownership.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming news of another taxpayer-funded payout, this time to Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Christian Hawkesby, calling it the second golden handshake revealed in as many months.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“This is déjà vu for taxpayers. Just weeks after Adrian Orr’s golden goodbye was revealed, we’re now seeing another six-figure payout dressed up as a ‘restraint of trade’. It’s the same old story: public-sector insiders look after their own while taxpayers pick up the tab.”

“Most Kiwis don’t get a cushy payout when they leave their jobs, so why should bureaucrats who already get paid eye-watering salaries be treated any differently?”

“The power to stop this sits squarely with Minister Judith Collins. Anyone in the public service earning more than the Prime Minister should have no entitlement to a taxpayer-funded golden handshake, period.”

“Two golden handshakes in two months is two too many. The Minister needs to act now to protect taxpayers from footing the bill for more of these outrageous payouts.”

Taxpayers who agree that golden handshakes must end can sign the petition at taxpayers.org.nz/petition_end_golden_handshakes.

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming ACC’s decision to halt funding to Water Safety New Zealand, saying taxpayers deserve spending based on results, not emotion, lobbying, or good intentions alone.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, Jordan Williams, said:

“ACC isn’t a charity. It’s funded by taxes and every dollar spent has to be shown to actually reduce injuries and claims. Good intentions are not enough."

“If a programme can’t prove it works, taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund it.”

“Feel-good funding is not good-enough funding.”

The Union says ACC’s job is to prevent injuries cost-effectively, not hand out grants to advocacy groups without clear evidence.
 

Back in 2014 the Taxpayers' Union uncovered an ACC rort (as described by the then-Minister of ACC) involving the Council of Trade Unions and Business NZ who were being paid to conduct "health and safety training" that was found to have zero impact. It was, in the case of the CTU, being used to sell the benefits of union membership. In that case, it took exposing the cost-benefit analysis of ACC to force them to cut the programme.

"It's good to see ACC are not waiting to be publicly shamed into the decision."

“Drowning prevention is very important, but importance is not evidence. If the data doesn’t stack up for Water Safety NZ's programmes, the funding shouldn’t either.”

Commenting on Labour’s proposal to tax inflation by not adjusting their capital gains tax plans for rising prices, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:

“If Hipkins’ plan had been in place over the last decade, people would have faced an effective tax rate of 58.57 percent on real gains. Pretending that won’t hammer small businesses and drive up rents is a fantasy.”

“Even the original designers of capital gains taxes knew you don’t tax inflation. Hitting people whose assets are worth the same - or even less - in real terms is nothing but a shameless tax raid.”

“Labour’s plan to increase inflation and then tax people for it is unprincipled and unfair. Families and small business owners are being lined up for six-figure tax bills because of a cost-of-living crisis they didn’t create.”

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage confirmed in an OIA response that it gave $82,800 to support the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Awards 2023 — a competition for Māori artists aged 35 and under.

One of the runner-up works, shown above, features a broom. While art is subjective, most taxpayers would be surprised to learn their money is going toward funding competitions that hand out large sums for entries like this.

Of course, supporting young artists is valuable. But so is accountability for how public funds are spent. When everyday New Zealanders are tightening their belts, it’s fair to ask whether $82,800 for a single art competition is the best use of limited taxpayer money.

Transparency and scrutiny aren’t anti-art, they’re about making sure funding decisions reflect the priorities of the people who actually pay for them.

Read the full Official Information Act response here:

The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union has today launched its latest report assessing Labour's unfair, unworkable approach to a capital gains tax.

The report, entitled 'Why Labour's capital gains tax fails the fairness test', criticises the policy for taxing inflation, setting up Kiwis who are no better off in real terms for five or six-figure tax bills. 

The policy also lays the groundwork for an administrative nightmare by forcing a valuation day, and overlooks businesses by making no mention whatsoever of same-asset class rollover relief. Small businesses who want to buy a new shop may be stung for hundreds of thousands of dollars, despite not liquidating assets. This will be a disaster for growth, prices and jobs.

Finally, the policy simply won't be able to raise enough money to meet Labour's revenue aims, meaning this capital gains tax will be the thin end of the wedge for more comprehensive capital gains or wealth taxes to meet the shortfall.

The Taxpayers’ Union says Labour’s promise of three “free” (taxpayer-funded) GP visits won’t be worth much if New Zealanders can’t see a GP in the first place, with 1 in 7 GP practices unable to provide an appointment for more than a month. Instead, Labour's policy looks more like a cheap political gimmick to justify a new tax than a serious health solution.

This morning, researchers at the Taxpayers’ Union conducted a mystery spot audit of 14 randomly selected GP clinics across New Zealand, asking when an enrolled patient could get the next available appointment. The average wait time was more than a week (6.4 business days), and two clinics were unable to offer a single appointment for nearly a month.

“These results show the real barrier to primary healthcare isn’t the price of an appointment, it’s getting one, unlike what Labour would have you believe,” said Tory Relf, Head of Communications at the Taxpayers’ Union.

“Free GP visits are meaningless if the doctor can’t see you until Christmas. People aren’t asking for a new tax-funded bureaucracy, just to see a doctor before their condition gets worse.”

The Taxpayers' Union says New Zealand’s GP system is already stretched to breaking point.

“GPs are restricted in what they can charge and how they run their practices. There’s a de-facto price cap on services, so even wealthy suburbs with patients willing to pay more can’t attract enough GPs.”

“And these numbers understate the crisis. Thousands of Kiwis can’t even find a local GP clinic accepting new enrolments. No wonder A&Es are overflowing and our doctors are packing their bags for Australia.”

The Taxpayers' Union is urging political parties to focus on boosting GP workforce capacity, not marketing gimmicks.

“Ramping up demand by subsidising the wealthiest households at a time when there aren't enough appointments as it is, is simply lunacy. If anything, this policy is more likely to drive people into attending A&E unnecessarily when they can't get into a primary care provider.”

"Labour's policy reads like it was written for a campaign ad, not a health system in distress."

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling Labour’s proposed capital gains tax (CGT) an unfair and poorly thought-out policy that punishes ordinary New Zealanders for inflation, not real gains.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“Labour’s capital gains tax is effectively a tax on inflation. Around 40 percent of house price growth over the past three decades has simply been inflation, not real profit, yet Labour wants to tax it anyway. That’s not fair or sensible economic policy.”

“By refusing to adjust for inflation, Labour is taxing people on phantom gains. It means someone could sell a property for the same - or lower - real value they bought it for but still get hit with a 28 percent tax bill.”

“If Labour genuinely wanted to broaden the tax base, it would have made the policy revenue neutral by lowering other taxes. Instead, it’s just another cash grab dressed up as reform.”

A new report on New Zealand’s illicit tobacco market shows the Government’s tobacco excise policy is blowing smoke up gangs and criminals — while driving the first increase in smoking rates in decades.

The report by FTI Consulting reveals that illicit tobacco now makes up 27 percent of all cigarettes smoked in New Zealand, up from 23.6 percent last year and 16.5 percent in 2022. The result: over $600 million in lost excise revenue in 2024 — and an increase in smoking rates.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:

“This is textbook Laffer Curve economics. The Government has pushed excise rates so high that every further tax increase now reduces the tax take. While tax receipts for tobacco products are falling, demand hasn’t disappeared — it’s just gone underground."

“With nearly a third of cigarettes smoked in New Zealand now illicit, the losers are taxpayers, the health system, and legitimate retailers. The winners are the counterfeit Chinese producers, the smugglers, and organised crime."

“The irony is staggering: years of punitive tax hikes meant to cut smoking have instead increased smoking while starving the Treasury of hundreds of millions in revenue. If the Government is serious about a smoke free New Zealand, it needs to stop virtue signalling and get serious about enforcing the law.”

“Over-taxation has created a whole new market for dirt-cheap counterfeit cigarettes. That means while the tax receipts are going down, the actual number of people smoking is going up. This report should be a wake-up call.”

The Taxpayers' Union is slamming Labour's newly announced Capital Gains Tax on investment and commercial property, dubbing it a "Bach Tax" that punishes savers, kills productivity, and opens the door to a full-blown wealth tax.

"This is a tax on inflation disguised as fairness," said Jordan Williams, Executive Director of the Taxpayers' Union.

"Even if your property hasn't increased in real value, you'll still pay up to 28 percent of the paper gain. That's not tax reform, that's daylight robbery."

A tax that pretends to help productivity - but doesn't

Labour claims the policy will make the economy "more productive" by shifting tax away from "work and business." It's a nice talking point, but it's not the policy.

"Labour talks about the 'unfair burden on productive Kiwis' yet this policy doesn't reduce that burden by a single cent," said Williams.

"They're just piling a new tax on top. Not one business owner or wage-earner will pay a dollar less tax under this plan."

Taxing inflation is fundamentally unfair

Labour's CGT doesn't even adjust for inflation, meaning everyday savers, small business owners, and investors will be taxed on imaginary gains.

"If you buy a property today and sell it in ten years for exactly the same real value, Labour wants nearly a third of your nest egg," said Williams.

"That's not a tax on profit, it's a tax on patience."

A political Trojan horse

"Once a CGT is in place, history shows it inevitably expands to family homes, inheritances, and even death duties," said Williams.

"Every country that's adopted a so-called 'targeted' CGT ends up with the full-blown version. This is just the first spoonful."

Bad economics, bad politics

• Volatile revenue: CGT inflows crash in recessions, making it a terrible base for funding ongoing health entitlements like Labour's "free GP visits."
• Distorts investment: Discourages development and improvement - people hold onto assets longer just to avoid the tax.
• Inflated valuations: Tying the system to outdated council Capital Valuations (CVs) is a recipe for inequity and endless disputes. CVs are often materially wrong. A CV, wrong by just $100,000, will result in a $28,000 tax bill.

"The Government doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. In 2017, the Government was 27.7% of the economy. Now spending is 32.5%. Labour could easily have looked for savings and spending reprioritisation. Instead Hipkins is doubling down on new taxes. That's lazy, and to dressing it up as something to 'help' the economy is political gas lighting.”

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Jordan is joined by international consultant Rowan Pike, a former Australian Federal Police officer and Customs and Border Force expert, to unpack the explosive rise of illicit tobacco in Australia.

With around half of all cigarettes now sourced from the black market, Rowan reveals how sky-high excise taxes have fuelled organised crime, gang violence, and a thriving underground trade. Drawing on his frontline experience, he explains how well-intentioned policies can backfire — and what New Zealand can learn from Australia’s mistakes.

If you care about harm reduction, smarter regulation, and keeping communities safe from criminal networks, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Labour’s plan to expand taxpayer subsidies for the video-game industry, warning the current Game Development Sector Rebate is already unnecessary corporate welfare.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Rhys Hurley, said:

“This is déjà vu. We’ve already seen millions funnelled into the gaming sector through the Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE) and rebate scheme, with next to no public transparency and questionable results. Why double down on a failed policy?”

“If Labour are actually serious about jobs and growth, writing bigger and bigger cheques to high-performing overseas developers already turning over millions won’t cut it."

"New Zealand has some of the highest corporate tax rates in the world; that’s why firms can’t succeed here.”

“Labour want to keep taking money from small businesses who could stand on their own two feet and use it to prop up pet firms who can’t. This is corporate welfare in high-definition.”

The Taxpayers' Union is welcoming the resignation of disgraced former Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton as head of the LGNZ lobby group and says it is a chance for the organisation to hit the re-set button and appoint someone on the side of local democracy, not the Labour Party or partisan politics.

Taxpayers' Union spokesman Jordan Williams said:

"This is obviously sad for Sam, and we wish him well in his next endeavours, but it is a chance for LGNZ to draw a line in the sand and set a better path."

"With most New Zealanders living in council areas not joined up to LGNZ, unless something changes, it risks losing its legitimacy or even viability."

"In recent weeks, we've been hearing reports that Sam Broughton was lining up former Hutt City Mayor and Labour Party-activist Cambell Barry for the LGNZ CEO role. Such an appointment would be a nail in LGNZ's coffin, and we hope the reports are wrong."

"Like we say about local councils, LGNZ should stick to its knitting, core services, and not get caught up in activism and politics."

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming Labour’s newfound interest in economic growth, while warning that its proposed “New Zealand Future Fund” looks more like a trip back to the 1970s than a plan for the future.

Taxpayers' Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“Economic growth isn’t everything, but it’s almost everything when it comes to improving living standards, life expectancy, happiness, and even environmental outcomes. Only growth allows New Zealand to do more with less.”

“Labour are finally talking about growth - that’s progress. But their solution is a taxpayer-funded investment fund run by politicians and bureaucrats pretending to be venture capitalists. If government-backed venture funds worked, North Korea would be Silicon Valley by now.”

“Why would Labour deliberately choose to invest in assets with sub-par returns? If they’re serious about building national wealth, they should stop scaring investors away with constant talk of capital gains and wealth taxes.”

“Recycling state-owned assets to free up capital makes sense. Gambling with taxpayers’ money on politically chosen projects does not. The Super Fund has delivered strong returns because it’s independent and profit-driven, so why break a model that works?”

“The investment decisions will inevitably be political. When governments try to ‘pick winners,’ taxpayers end up with the losses while connected industries pocket the gains. We’ve already seen this with KiwiBuild and the Provincial Growth Fund. Successful wealth funds overseas, like Norway’s, were built on genuine resource surpluses and disciplined fiscal management. Labour want to ban oil and gas exploration and spend like there’s no tomorrow. That’s not a recipe for prosperity.”

“New Zealand is starved of capital, and Labour is right about that. But the answer isn’t another bureaucracy pretending to be a venture capital firm. The best way to get money into productive investment is to make it attractive for Kiwis to do it themselves, without politicians in the way.”

"Most taxpayers would agree that the Government should focus on what it's good at, not try to play fund manager. By all means recycle capital - into good quality roads, and public services. But how many times do politicians need to flirt with corporate welfare and job creation schemes before they learn the lesson? State sponsored capitalism - mixing profit and social objectives – always fails."

Responding to Statistics New Zealand’s announcement today that annual CPI inflation has hit three percent, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said:

“Inflation is hitting the ceiling of the Reserve Bank’s target range, and council rates hikes are doing the heavy lifting. Local authority rates and payments contributed 27.9 percent of quarterly inflation."

“With average rates up 34 percent in just three years, council waste is hitting Kiwis with a double whammy: first directly in their pockets, and second through the inflation those hikes are fuelling.”

“These figures make it clear that local government needs to change. Kiwis can’t afford this cost-of-living crisis, so the Government must cap rates now.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that Te Puni Kōkiri spent $91,086.50 in 2023/24 on branded merchandise, clothing, and lanyards.

Documents show:

• $52,355.21 on branded merchandise including umbrellas, sunglasses, drink bottles, beach blankets, and tote bags
• $38,219.77 was spent on branded clothing such as wool jackets, polo shirts, and cardigans
• $511.52 went on custom lanyards

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“While families have been struggling and cutting back on household spending, Te Puni Kōkiri spent thousands on backpacks, lanyards, and umbrellas.”

“The Ministry of Māori Development exists to promote the wellbeing of Māori, not to splash out on full-scale branding exercises.”

“When departments start spending on non-essentials, it’s a clear sign their budgets are too big and need to be cut back.”

“Taxpayers’ dollars should be going toward frontline services or paying down debt, not freebie swag that ends up in storage cupboards, staff wardrobes, or giveaways.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through Official Information Act request that Immigration New Zealand has collected $7,546,236 in International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levies (IVL) from people whose visa or NZeTA applications were rejected since 2022.

Between January 2022 and June 2025, 156,773 visa applications and 2,160 NZeTA requests were declined after paying the non-refundable levy. The Ministry justified the policy by saying refund mechanisms would impose “significant administrative costs” on the immigration system.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“This needs to be called what it is, a cash grab. Charging people a levy for conservation and tourism when they never even set foot in New Zealand makes no sense.”

“Immigration New Zealand is pocketing millions from would-be visitors who are told after the fact that their application failed.”

“If the Government can process nearly 160,000 rejections, it can process refunds. The current approach is unfair, and only risks hurting brand New Zealand to the rest of the world.” 

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through Official Information Act request that the Ministry of Social Development is spending $2.8 million on a youth wellbeing survey that included sending brownie boxes worth $7,544 to schools to encourage participation.

The Ministry confirmed that research firm Ipsos, which is contracted to deliver the Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey, sent brownie boxes to 170 schools and 14 kura at $41 each including postage - bringing the total cost of the survey to more than $350 per response.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“Taxpayers are footing a $2.8 million bill for a survey that somehow needed a nationwide brownie drop to get schools interested.”

“It’s the kind of sugary spending that shows how detached the Wellington Blob has become from reality. Families are having to cut back, while bureaucrats are spending millions with treats to make people fill in surveys.”

"With up to 8,000 participants, it must be asked if $350 per response is really what taxpayers would feel comfortable with."

"Nobody is questioning finding out the state of our youth's wellbeing, but this should be done at a far smaller price.”

Quarter of Te Pāti Māori and One in Five ACT Voters Say Violence May Be Needed to ‘Fix’ New Zealand

A new Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll reveals worrying levels of support for political violence across the political spectrum. One in four Te Pāti Māori voters and one in five ACT voters agree that “New Zealanders may have to resort to violence to get the country back on track."

Younger New Zealanders are far more likely to back political violence — and less likely to have friends with different political views — than older generations.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:

“It’s alarming that so many New Zealanders think violence might be justified to ‘fix’ the country. This isn’t a fringe issue any more; it’s a massive red flag for the health of our democracy.”

“Younger people are not only more open to violence, but they’re also less likely to have friends who see the world differently. That kind of political isolation breeds extremism.”

“It is frustrating that having had staff receive death threats and direct intimidation, the Police take absolutely no interest. It puts off good people from participating in public affairs - although for some that is the very purpose. We should not have to wait for a tragedy for the Police to get their act together."

"It’s also time for party leaders to take responsibility and tone down the rhetoric before it escalates further. Democracy depends on debate, not intimidation. Once people stop talking to each other and start seeing violence as an answer, we’re in real trouble.”

The Taxpayers' Union is calling on defeated former Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton to stand down as President of LGNZ and prevent more members of the organisation from pulling out and undermining the fiscal viability of the council lobby group.

Preliminary results of the Selwyn mayoralty show Sam Broughton losing in a landslide victory to Lydia Gliddon, with 4156 votes to 15,497 votes.

"LGNZ has becoming overly politicised and mistrusted under Sam Broughton's leadership," said out Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams.

"As we look through the election results it is pretty clear that without wholesale changes at LGNZ, even more councils will likely pull out."

"LGNZ's membership doesn't even cover half of New Zealand's population. As much as we disagree with LGNZ's direction and blatant left-wing activism, even we see that there is a role for a peak-body organisation."

"But fixing LGNZ is unlikely to come from the leadership which got it into this mess. With the electorate so strongly rejecting Mr Broughton, he should fall on his sword and let the newly elected councils who are still members of LGNZ pick a new President."

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling out the outgoing New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom being appointed chief executive of the council’s new Water Services Council Controlled Organisation, the day before local election voting closed.

Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman Rhys Hurley said:

“This fails every test of transparency and fairness. Ratepayers will rightly be asking how the sitting mayor ended up in a lucrative new job through a process hidden from public view.”

“Even if Mr Holdom is qualified, this is just another example of why ratepayers are losing faith in local government."

"When the former mayor steps straight into a top executive role with a council-controlled organisation, it looks like the chief executive is giving jobs to his mates."

"The fact councillors were blindsided and the meeting was held in secret the day before polls closed only makes things worse."

"Ratepayers deserve accountability, not political insiders slipping into cushy ratepayer-funded roles on their way out the door.”

The Taxpayers' Union congratulates fellow Atlas Network participant Maria Corina Machado for winning the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize over the weekend.

Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:

"Pro-freedom think tanks in Venezuela were among the very first Atlas Network partners in the early 1980s, promoting the ideas behind the movement for human rights and democratic norms in Venezuela that inspire the country's residents to this day. Machado has tirelessly strived to promote democracy and fight dictatorship in her country."

"Although Machado's involvement in Atlas predates mine, she was heavily involved in Atlas Network at about the same time as New Zealand's now Deputy Prime Minister, David Seymour."

"I am delighted to see that Atlas Network will continue to stand by her side, and alongside all of the world’s freedom’s champions, every step of the way."

"On behalf of the Taxpayers' Union - also an Atlas Network Partner - we extend our congratulations."

Analysis of the 2025 preliminary local election results shows a clear pattern that mayors who treated ratepayers like an ATM have been thrown out of office, while those who showed fiscal restraint have been rewarded.

Across the country, voters have sent a simple message: stop hiking rates.

Of the ten councils with the highest annual rates increases (12.6 percent and above), only one mayor was re-elected - in Grey District. Among the top 20 highest increases (9.9 percent and above), just five mayors kept their jobs.

In contrast, of the ten councils with the smallest rate hikes (5.8 percent and below), seven mayors were re-elected. Among the bottom 20, 13 mayors retained office.

Looking over the past three years, the same pattern holds: councils that delivered cumulative increases of 40 percent or more were punished, while those that kept costs under control were rewarded by voters.

“This is the revenge of the ratepayers,” says Jordan Williams, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. “Communities across New Zealand have sent a message loud and clear — stop using ratepayers as a money tree. Mayors who ignored that message are now out of a job.”

The data shows that fiscal discipline pays off politically. Mayors who respected household budgets and resisted runaway spending were re-elected in large numbers, while those who presided over record hikes and bloated bureaucracies were shown the door.

“This election proves what we’ve said all along: there’s no mandate for endless rate hikes. Councils must start living within their means.”

Reacting to the latest Public Service Workforce figures, the Taxpayers’ Union says it’s a good start but there is still a long way to go. The new data shows the public service has dropped by 1,568 since the last election from 64,222 in September 2023 to 62,654 full time equivalent roles, including a 0.9 percent decrease in the quarter from March to June.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf says:

“It’s encouraging to see the public service finally heading in the right direction, but we’re still a long way from where we need to be.”

“Even after this reduction, there are more than 15,000 extra workers compared to under the last National Government. While some of that may be frontline work we need, far too many bureaucrats remain in bloated back offices and policy shops.”

“This is a step forward, but it can’t be the last one. The Government needs to stay the course and keep trimming back the bureaucracy.”

The Taxpayers' Union is slamming the news that disgraced former Reserve Bank Governor, Adrian Orr, is subject to a gagging clause applicable to not just the Bank, but the Government and Minister of Finance.

Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:

“The documents obtained by Newsroom and shared with the Taxpayers' Union demonstrate how false the claims about the $416,000 so-called ‘restraint of trade’ really are. This is a classic gag agreement - designed to protect the reputations of the elite and shun public scrutiny.”

"Taxpayers' money should be not be used to buy the silence of a disgraced former public servant. Nor should someone who, apparently, resigned be given a 'golden goodbye' for agreeing to keep their mouth shut."

"Unless the Reserve Bank - and the Minister - waive the requirements on Mr Orr not to speak, it makes a mockery of public assurances of transparency."

Bad news for National and Labour as they both take a beating in this month's Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll.

The poll, conducted between 01 October and 05 October, shows Labour retain its position as the largest party, dropping 2.6 points to 31.2 percent. National dropped 3.5 points to 29.6 percent. 

The Greens gain 1.3 points to 12.0 percent, while New Zealand First gains 2.5 points to 10.6 percent. ACT drops 0.1 points to 6.6 percent, while Te Pāti Māori gains 0.1 points to 4.4 percent.

Headline results and more information about the methodology can be found on the Taxpayers' Union's website at www.taxpayers.org.nz/2025polloct_taxpcur

For the minor parties, Freedoms NZ is on 2.3 percent (+1.5 points), TOP is on 1.6 percent (+0.5 points), NZ Loyal is on 1.0 percent (+1.0 points), and Vision NZ is on 0.6 percent (+0.6%).

This month's results are compared to the last Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll conducted in September 2025, available at www.taxpayers.org.nz/sept2025_nztucurpoll

The combined projected seats for the Centre-Left remains on 61 seats. The combined seats for the Centre-Right drops 1 to 59. On these numbers, the Centre-Left bloc could form a Government.

Labour drops two seats to 40, while National drops 4 seats to 38. The Greens gain 2 seats to 15, while New Zealand First gains 3 seats to 13. ACT remains on 8, while Te Pāti Māori remain unchanged on 6.

Cost of Living remains voters' top issue on 26.4 percent (-1.1 points), followed by the Economy more generally at 17.4 percent (+1.3 points). Health is the next largest at 10.3 percent (-0.8 points), followed by Employment on 5.1 percent and Poverty on 4.1 percent.

Chris Hipkins has taken the lead as voters' Preferred Prime Minister, rising 3.2 points to 20.9 percent. Christopher Luxon fell 1.9 points to 19.8 percent.

Commenting on the results, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said:

"Treasury's fiscal forecasts have shone National and Labour in terrible lights this month, and a combined 6.1 percent drop for the major parties is quite the vote of no confidence."

"Cost of living and the economy are still voters' major concerns. With the finest of margins between the left and right blocs, tackling these will be key as we head into election year."

Responding to the Reserve Bank’s decision today to reduce the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 50 basis points, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:

“When the only plan for growth seems to be praying for OCR cuts, the Minister of Finance must be thanking her lucky stars for another one.”

“The economy shrank dramatically in quarter two and will likely shrink again in quarter three. Skyrocketing council rate increases will only push inflation higher and will dampen the Reserve Bank’s enthusiasm for further OCR cuts.”

“Relying on monetary policy alone to stimulate growth is not enough - the Government’s fiscal stance needs to dramatically change. Minister Willis simply has to control and reduce wasteful and excessive government expenditure.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Government’s inclusion of rate caps in today's Q4 Action Plan, but warns that talk is not enough. Every month of delay means higher rates and more pressure on households already struggling with the cost of living.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson, Tory Relf, said:

“Rates have risen an average of 34 percent over the last three years. Families are tightening their belts while councils keep spending like there’s no tomorrow. Ratepayers are not bottomless cash machines for local government waste.”

“The Government deserves credit for recognising the problem, but it must act sooner rather than later. Councils are working on next year’s budgets right now. If legislation isn’t introduced and passed soon, households will be hit with another round of unaffordable rate hikes.”

“The time for consultation and reviews is over. Ratepayers need action, not promises. We’ll keep the pressure on until rate caps are written into law - and we’ll hold the Government to account every step of the way.”

Reacting to reporting by Newstalk ZB that Finance Minister Nicola Willis' says she only learned of Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr’s severance package when it was made public, the Taxpayers' Union is reiterating its call for the Board to be held to account by Minister Willis.

Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:

“Assertions that the Minister of Finance knew nothing of Adrian Orr’s outrageous severance package until yesterday are baffling. So much for the ‘no surprises’ policy."

“Why on earth would the Board think that they needed to restrain Orr’s activities for a period after his departure? This makes absolutely no sense at all. The public deserve full disclosure of the terms and conditions for this payment. In concealing this payment until minimal disclosure was forced upon it through the annual report, the Board have acted in bad faith.”

“The Board has not served the Minister, nor the Government and definitely not taxpayers well. We repeat our call for the Minister to act, and for the Board to be held to account."

The Taxpayers' Union is calling on Finance Minister Nicola Willis to justify why a $416k golden parachute was approved to disgraced governor Adrian Orr, and whether she knew about the proposal before it was agreed to by the RBNZ Board. If she didn't, she should sack the Board members who approved it.

"Heads should roll over this – it's a $416,120 reward for failure," said Jordan Williams of the Taxpayers' Union.

"Calling it a 'restraint of trade' payment is yet another dishonest ruse from the Reserve Bank. It's gaslighting taxpayers."

"Just what were they worried about? Orr is so disgraced that the only Reserve Bank he could take over is in the third world. Heck, we should have been paying others to take him away!"

"Similarly, the idea a commercial bank would touch Orr is ridiculous. It was the commercial banks quietly telling people about Orr's outrageous behaviour in yelling at executives."

"I have never heard of a 'restraint of trade' in the public service. It's a golden parachute."

"Adrian Orr is an ill-tempered bully whose actions lost taxpayers literally billions of dollars.  Yet again, the Reserve Bank's Board have let taxpayers down."

"The Taxpayers' Union has long argued that we need a law to stop those in the public sector paid more than a Member of Parliament from receiving golden handshakes. This is case in point why."

Responding to the Government’s announcement that parents earning more than $65,000 will be responsible for supporting school leavers, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:

“Breaking the benefit trap is good for young people and good for taxpayers. School leavers who go straight onto a benefit often end up spending decades out of work."

“A bit of common sense in the welfare system is long overdue. Parents who can support their kids should do so, and those who genuinely can’t should still have the state’s backing."

“But setting a hard parental income cutoff at $65,000 risks creating a perverse incentive, where parents very quickly become much worse off for earning only slightly more. Support should be tapered off gradually, so families aren’t punished for working harder.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is backing Christopher Luxon’s call for a bipartisan approach to natural gas exploration. Commenting on Luxon’s letter to Labour, Union spokesman James Ross said:

“Energy prices used to be New Zealand's edge, and within a decade they've become one of our biggest liabilities. We’re consciously crippling ourselves, and it’s not sustainable.”

“Not only do high prices worsen the cost-of-living crisis, they’re tanking the economy. The manufacturing sector is in freefall, shrinking 3.5 percent in just the three months to 30 June 2025 alone.”

“Nothing’s going to change while parties keep playing politics with power bills. Labour need to answer the call and find a sensible, bipartisan approach to keeping New Zealand’s lights on.” 

The Taxpayers’ Union is applauding today’s decision from Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk to overhaul the earthquake-prone building system, cutting red tape and saving New Zealanders more than $8.2 billion.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“This is a win for common sense. The old rules lumped massive costs on many building owners for little real safety gain. By targeting only buildings that pose a genuine risk to life, the Government is protecting people without bankrupting communities."

"The changes mean that venues like the historic Leys Institute in Ponsonby no longer sit empty and at the mercy of vandals, and can instead be returned to their proper place at the centre of communities - without the projected $9.5 million cost to ratepayers."

“Minister Penk deserves credit for pulling back a system that was punishing ordinary Kiwis. This is what smarter, risk-based regulation looks like.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through Official Information Act requests that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry for Primary Industries and the Ministry for the Environment sent 13 staff to the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Collectively, these departments spent $226,159 to cover the cost of the trip, including travel, accommodation and meals.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“Business class flights and tens of thousands spent on accommodation for a small group of officials is exactly the sort of extravagant spending these high-flying bureaucrats are getting too used to.”

“The irony is hard to miss: this supposedly ‘green’ gathering required 402,610 air miles of business-class travel, all to attend a climate change conference."

"Taxpayers will be left wondering why this couldn’t have been done over Zoom, like most of the other meetings these officials take while in the country.”

“New Zealand already has a world-leading Emissions Trading Scheme. Maybe it’s time for these staff to put down the suitcases and come into the office for a lesson or two.”

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 twice as many departments as comparable countries. No wonder things feel messy.

Roger argues this sprawling Cabinet structure makes it harder to know who’s accountable, pushes up costs, and slows down solutions to big challenges like housing, welfare, and climate change. In short: too many cooks, not enough results.

Responding to today’s release of Treasury’s 2025 Long-Term Fiscal Statement, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:

“This was a shot across the bow from Treasury. One way or another, change is coming. We either pick how now, or have the markets make much more unpleasant choices for us.”

“The Treasury Secretary couldn’t have been clearer that the longer we delay, the greater the adjustment we’ll need. Every month delayed makes the future that little bit more painful. It means higher taxes, lower incomes, and less ability to overcome future crises.”

“Our current track has government finances driving straight into a wall. An aging population, increasing health costs, and record levels of government spending have Net Core Crown Debt set to hit 200% of GDP by 2065, compared to just 19.4% in 2018. Interest costs per household could top $60,000 a year.”

“There’s no one silver bullet. Pro-growth tax reform, spending restraint, and welfare reform all need to go hand in hand.”

“This is the time for a full financial reset, to resize government and make way for growth. With one of the largest structural deficits of any developed country and no pathway back to surplus, just shifting money around won’t cut it.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union welcomes the appointment of Dr Anna Breman as Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and is urging her to rein in the waste and empire-building that flourished under Adrian Orr.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson, Tory Relf, said:

"New Zealanders deserve a Reserve Bank that is focused on its core mission of economic prosperity, not one that bloats itself with bureaucrats and pet projects. Under Adrian Orr, staffing numbers ballooned to two and a half times what they were in 2018. That growth is completely out of step with the Bank’s responsibilities, and taxpayers are footing the bill."

"Dr Breman has an opportunity to restore discipline and credibility to the Reserve Bank. That means pulling back from the excesses of the Orr era and ensuring resources are tightly focused on delivering monetary stability for New Zealand households and businesses."

"We urge Dr Breman to draw a line under the empire-building and chaos of the past six years and bring the Reserve Bank back to basics."

Commenting on today’s planned announcement of the next Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor , Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:

“There’s only one word for timing the announcement of a new RBNZ Governor to take coverage away from today’s Long-Term Fiscal Statement: Cynical.”

“Nicola Willis says she wants the public to have a serious conversation about the long-term challenges facing New Zealand. So why try to bury bad news?”

“Rather than pulling strings to keep the Government’s dire finances off the front pages, all of Nicola Willis’ focus should be on balancing the books.”

Reacting to today’s Mood of the Boardroom survey, the Taxpayers’ Union is saying that the report tells us what taxpayers already know: Nicola Willis has tanked the books and business leaders have lost confidence.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson, Tory Relf, said:

“There are no surprises here. Willis and Luxon have flopped, while the Ministers who are actually making the tough calls and getting work done, like Erica Stanford or Chris Bishop, come out on top. Action is rewarded, not excuses. That’s the difference.”

“Boardrooms aren’t stupid. They can see the dire state of the finances Willis has kept us in. And it’s not just boardrooms feeling the pinch – taxpayers are the ones paying for her failure to get the books under control.”

“That’s exactly why we need a Spring Statement, for Willis to fess up and reset before the year is out. The Government can spin all it likes, but the numbers don’t lie – and neither do the boardrooms.”

“Full capital expensing would give businesses the shot in the arm the country is desperate for. Our Pathway to Surplus report lays out how Nicola Willis can pay for it. Willis doesn’t need another working group or glossy strategy – she needs to pick up A Pathway to Surplus and get on with it. All the answers are in black and white on Willis’ desk, so there’s no more room for excuses.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that Waka Kotahi spent $5.05 million on mahi toi (cultural artworks) along the Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway.

The spending went ahead without an open tender process.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:

“Blowing $5 million on roadside art with no accountability is exactly the sort of decision-making that drives up project costs and erodes public trust.”

“While this may be a fraction of the overall budget, the same approach across projects nationwide adds up quickly. What’s the real bill to taxpayers?”

“New Zealand ranks among the top ten percent of OECD countries for infrastructure spending but the bottom ten percent for value for money. That gap comes from poor outcomes and wasteful spending.”

“If Waka Kotahi is serious about trimming non-essential spending, roadside artwork – unrelated to road safety or delivery – would be a good place to start.”

In light of yesterday's alarming GDP figures and the failure of the Government's current fiscal and economic approach, the Taxpayers' Union is calling on Nicola Willis to present a 'Spring Statement' to decidedly reset the economy on a growth path before this year's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update.

"Two years into the Government's economic agenda, it is clear the current plan is failing and it's time for a bold change in direction," said Hon Ruth Richardson, the Chair of the Taxpayers' Union.

"The first thing the Government needs to do to deliver growth is get Big Government's foot off the throat of the economy. Despite running on a platform of cutting the last government's bloated spending, Nicola Willis has actually increased government spending as a proportion of the economy. She is perpetuating high levels of deficit and debt, which are dragging the economy down."

"Nicola Willis tried to portray her approach favourably in opposition to my 'short and sharp' approach when I faced similar fiscal challenges in the early 1990s. That approach set the scene for a growth rate of 5 percent - it's better to be short and sharp than this long, painful torture of continuing the last government's fiscal recklessness. Yesterday's numbers are vindication of my high-growth choice."

"New Zealanders cannot afford to stick with failing policies. A course correction is urgently needed. The best way to do it is a Spring Statement to correct the fiscal path, get spending under control and give the private sector room to grow again.”

“The Government must stop pretending that the current approach will work.  The attacks on me and others who are pointing out the fiscal elephants in the room do Ms Willis, and all New Zealanders, a disservice. Moving government spending back to, say, the levels of Ardern's 'wellbeing budget' isn't 'slash and burn', it's responsible and necessary."

"Treasury are making clear that the situation is getting worse, not better.  The Government says they are on a path to 'surplus', but it's spin over substance. The amount being borrowed per day now is higher than when the Government entered office.”

“It’s time for a hard reset, a shift in priorities towards fiscal responsibility and economic stability.”

“The longer we wait, the deeper the hole.  A Spring Statement is necessary.”

GDP has fallen 0.9% this quarter. Responding to today’s release of the shocking Q2 2025 GDP figures, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said:

“The economy is shrinking fast, and it is expected to do so again next quarter. These numbers confirm what Kiwis have known for months, which is that Nicola Willis is failing to deliver the economic growth her Government was elected for.”

“On Monday, NZIER forecast economic growth for the year to March 2026 would be just 1.5 percent. That’s less than half the 3.2 percent Treasury forecast for the year to June 2026, produced as recently as May’s Budget.”

“Let’s call the Government’s projections what they are: wishful thinking. But a hope and a prayer won’t keep factories open, offices full, and services funded.”

“Paltry growth means tax revenues will continue to fall below expectations. Any hopes of balancing the books will keep slipping further away, unless this Government kicks its wasteful spending habits.”

“The ball is in Nicola Willis’ court. It has been for nearly two years now.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is criticising the Government for skimming up to $139 million a year from the International Visitor Levy while telling the public it’s for tourism and conservation, raising serious questions about whether the levy is being used as promised.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“No wonder the Department of Conservation wants to charge visitors extra for certain sites; the Government is siphoning off tourist tax money instead of properly funding conservation.”

“They’ve also announced a new events fund that’s smaller than the amount they’re keeping from the levy. It looks like the tourist tax has just become a general top-up for the Crown’s books, not the dedicated tourism and conservation fund people were told it would be.”

“When the Government tells the public that the IVL is for tourism and conservation but quietly diverts hundreds of millions elsewhere, it undermines trust and accountability. New Zealanders and visitors alike are entitled to expect levies collected for a specific purpose to actually be spent on that purpose.”

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams sits down with financial advisor and Stewart Group founder Nick Stewart to tackle a question too many councils would rather avoid: are skyrocketing rates making inflation worse?

Nick explains how council spending flows through to households and businesses, pushing up the cost of living just as families are already struggling. Rates might look like a local issue, but the ripple effects are felt nationwide.

If you’ve ever wondered why your grocery bill feels higher every time the council votes through another rates hike, this episode is a must-listen.

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has today released the Ratepayer Voting Guide, giving voters a clear picture of where local body election candidates stand on rates, transparency, and unelected appointments. 

The Guide is based on candidates’ responses to the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which asked every mayoral and council candidate to commit to: 

• Opposing rates, levies, and charges rising faster than inflation and population growth, 

• Supporting greater transparency of council spending through tools such as online expenditure disclosure and open data, 

• Opposing unelected members being appointed to council committees with spending and regulatory powers. 

The release of the Ratepayer Voting Guide comes after a series of mayoral debates across the country where voters could question their candidates directly.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson, Tory Relf, said: 

“Councils make decisions that affect households every day, yet most voters have no idea where their candidates actually sit on the big issues. The Ratepayer Voting Guide cuts through the spin and shows who is standing up for ratepayers and who isn’t.” 

“Every one of the more than 350 pledge signatories has been published online, so ratepayers can check their local candidates before casting a vote. This is about accountability and making sure ratepayers aren’t left guessing at the ballot box.” 

“Ratepayers are sick of higher bills, poor transparency, and unelected voices wielding power. The Voting Guide makes it easy to back candidates who will deliver change.” 

The Ratepayer Voting Guide is available now at www.Ratepayer.Vote

If candidates have not responded to the pledge and wish to do so, they can email [email protected] throughout the campaign period and the website will be updated.

A new Taxpayers' Union - Curia poll of Queenstown Lakes voters shows that the mayoral race is wide open, ahead of the Taxpayers’ Union-hosted Mayoral Debate taking place in Queenstown tonight.

The independent poll of 500 residents found that while incumbent Glyn Lewers has the biggest support among voters, at just 11 percent, 71 percent of voters remain undecided.

Darren Rewi is on 6 percent, John Glover on 4 percent, Daniel Shand and Nik Kiddle on 2 percent each, and Al Angus on 1 percent.

On broader sentiment, only 28 percent of residents said Queenstown-Lakes is heading in the right direction, while 59 percent said the wrong direction — a net positive of -31 percent. 58 percent rated Queenstown Lakes District Council's performance as below average.

When asked about local issues, 77 percent of Queenstown Lakes residents said they support a cap on rates increases, while just 9 percent oppose and 13 percent are unsure.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said the results show tonight’s debate will be a key opportunity for candidates to win over undecided voters.

“With nearly three quarters of Queenstown Lakes residents yet to make up their minds, tonight’s debate is going to matter. These results clearly show that voters have strong opinions on rates and the overall direction of Queenstown Lakes District Council. We are expecting a robust debate tonight as ratepayers decide for themselves who stands for them."

Footage of the debate will be available on the Taxpayers' Union social media tomorrow, Friday 12 September.

The Taxpayers’ Union has welcomed commitment from ACT to oppose voting powers for unelected appointees in local government, included in today’s Democracy policy release.

“Democracy has been treated as a plaything in local councils for too long. Making a clear stand on this issue is essential for restoring fair and accountable governance in local government.” said Sam Warren, Local Government Campaign Manager for the Taxpayers’ Union.

“Councils are in disarray. Rates are climbing, and the need for representatives who are truly accountable to the public is more important than ever. Good advice and insight can certainly be offered by experts and interested parties, but at the end of the day, democracy must be front and centre in all decision-making.”

“Every ACT Local candidate standing for council has committed to all three policy items in the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, that includes opposing unelected appointees. It’s a massive win for ratepayers as they begin to vote, seeing a range of candidates wearing their policies on their sleeves. Candidates who have signed the pledge, and those who have not, can be found at Ratepayer.vote.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling for an end to the 16 year old National Ticketing System (NTS) after the announcement the scheme's full implementation will now be delayed until 2027.

An Official Information Act request has revealed the scheme was reviewed in October 2024 and was deemed well governed and resourced, with feasibility issues deemed resolvable at the time. Yet this latest delay comes with changes to the programme’s governance, leadership, delivery, and decision-making.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“Each Kiwi household is having to stump up $650 each for this ongoing fiasco, with costs of $80 million every year. This project is already sixteen years old yet what do we have to show for it?”

“As if that wasn’t long enough it’s now slipped back yet another year. The least the public should expect is a full, unredacted copy of where this all became such a mess in the newest independent review next month”

“More to the point, whoever at NZTA created the October review calling the project “well governed, led and resourced” needs to hang their head in shame.”

“The National Ticketing System needs scrapping, and replaced with a simple, off-the-shelf card payment solution if we’re ever going to put this John Key-era money pit to bed.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) collected $712 million from the fire levy last year, yet are failing to maintain frontline equipment while executives and back-office staff take home millions.

New figures obtained under the Official Information Act show:

• 1 in 4 fire trucks (347) are over 25 years old
• FENZ Chief Executive is paid $503,000
• The seven Deputy Chief Executives are collectively paid up to $2.37 million
• Over 800 non-frontline staff are employed in support and managerial roles

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“While unpaid volunteers respond to emergencies in decades-old trucks, FENZ’s top brass is earning more than the Prime Minister. It’s an insult to every firefighter doing the real work.”

“This is an organisation funded by a compulsory levy on every insured Kiwi home and business. But instead of going to the front line, the money is vanishing into bloated management and Wellington salaries.”

“The fire levy isn’t just a tax but a blank cheque for bureaucracy. We now have seven Deputy Chief Executives, hundreds of non-frontline staff, and trucks so old they belong in a museum.”

“If FENZ can afford $500,000 for its CEO and nearly $2.4 million for his deputies, it can afford to buy new trucks for our volunteer brigades.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is applauding the decisive action taken by Ruapehu District Council to rein in a projected $700,000 overspend in its Community and Recreational Services, managing to offset it without saddling ratepayers with additional debt.

Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman, Sam Warren, said:

“The council spotted a budget hole the size of a ski field and managed to fill it without sending ratepayers the bill. That’s how it should be.”

“Finding savings in operations, consultancy, maintenance, and finance might not sound glamorous, but it beats the usual trick of hiking rates. Ratepayers will be relieved to see some good old-fashioned fiscal responsibility for a change.”

“This is exactly the kind of accountability and cost-conscious governance taxpayers expect: when mistakes happen, own them, fix them, and get on with serving the community without reaching into ratepayers’ pockets.”

A new Taxpayers' Union - Curia poll of Hastings voters shows Marcus Buddo in the lead in the race for mayor, ahead of the Taxpayers’ Union-hosted Hastings Mayoral Debate taking place in Havelock North tonight.

The independent poll of 500 residents found Buddo has the support of 25 percent of decided voters, with Damon Harvey on 14 percent, and Wendy Schollum on 12 percent. 

Steve Gibson is on 9 percent, and Darrin Wilson on 3 percent. A large proportion, 28 percent of voters, remain undecided.

Damon Harvey has the highest name recognition at 65 percent, followed by Wendy Schollum on 59 percent. Steve Gibson follows on 51 percent, Marcus Buddo is on 45 percent, and Darrin Wilson on 33 percent.

On broader sentiment, 50 percent of residents said Hawke’s Bay is heading in the right direction, while 29 percent said the wrong direction — a net positive of +21 percent.

When asked about local issues, 70 percent of Hastings residents said they support a cap on rates increases, while just 21 percent oppose and 9 percent are unsure.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said the results show tonight’s debate will be a key opportunity for candidates to win over undecided voters.

“With more than a quarter of Hastings residents yet to make up their minds, tonight’s debate is going to matter. Voters clearly care about rates and the direction of the region, so we expect some robust discussion as ratepayers get into who stands for them - and who stands against.

Footage of the debate will be available on the Taxpayers' Union social media tomorrow, Tuesday 9 September.

Mixed news for National in this month's Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll, with National gaining but the Coalition unable to form a Government.

The poll, conducted between 31 August and 02 September, shows Labour hold on to its spot as the largest party, gaining 0.2 points to 33.8 percent. National gained 1.3 points to 33.1 percent.

The Greens gain 0.9 points to 10.7 percent, while New Zealand First gains 0.3 points to 8.1 percent. ACT drop 1.9 points to 6.7 percent, while Te Pāti Māori gains 1.1 point to 4.3 percent.

Headline results and more information about the methodology can be found on the Taxpayers' Union's website at www.taxpayers.org.nz/sept2025_nztucurpoll

For the minor parties, TOP is on 1.1 percent (-1.5 points), Outdoors and Freedom is on 0.8 percent (-0.3 points), Vision NZ is on 0.6 percent (+0.2 points), and New Conservatives are on 0.3 percent (+0.3 points).

This month's results are compared to the last Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll conducted in August 2025, available at https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/augpoll2025_250808

The combined projected seats for the Centre-Left remains on 61 seats. The combined seats for the Centre-Right drops 1 seat from last month to 60. On these numbers, the Centre-Left bloc could form a Government.

Labour drops 1 seat from last month to 42, while National gains 2 to 42. The Greens gain 1 seat to 13, while New Zealand First remain on 10. ACT drops 3 seats to 8, while Te Pāti Māori remain unchanged on 6.

Cost of Living remains voters' top issues at 27.5 percent (+3.1 points), followed by the Economy more generally at 16.1 percent (-4.6 points). Health is the next largest at 11.1 percent (+1.1%), followed by Employment on 7.5 percent and Taxes on 4.7 percent.

Commenting on the results, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said:

"With Labour and National tied on 42 seats each, it's neck and neck as we close in on the final year before the next election:"

"This Government is still hanging on by its fingertips. They were elected to provide cost-of-living relief, and so far they've been unable to deliver."

"If National want to go into the next election with some breathing room, families need to stop feeling the squeeze. That means growth, jobs, and rates relief."

This week on Taxpayer Talk, James sits down with John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the UK TaxPayers' Alliance. John and James dig into some big issues, to see what New Zealand can learn from the UK's (many) mistakes.

Rates caps, death tax, and John's role in exposing the infamous MPs' expenses scandal, which forced every British MP to open their expense reports to public scrutiny. Six MPs were jailed, and hundreds more were caught out.