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Championing Value For Money From Every Tax Dollar

Local Government Minister right to put Wellington Regional Council on the naughty step

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has rebuked Wellington Regional Council after discussions were held around purchasing Wellington Airport shares from the City Council.

Commenting in support of the Minister, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Councils shouldn’t be taking on debt and gambling with ratepayers’ money, full stop. If they’ve got the ability to consider buying hundreds of millions of dollars worth of airport shares, they don’t need to be milking ratepayers dry.

“Wellington Regional Council crying poverty and demanding a 20% rates hike this year has been shown up for the nonsense it is.

“Minister Brown’s calls for councils to focus on core priorities hit the nail on the head, especially in a region whose water pipes are leaking like a sieve.

MPs in Depth: Nancy Lu

Nancy Lu

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Connor sat down with National Party MP, Nancy Lu. 

Nancy was National’s highest ranking candidate who wasn’t already in Parliament and was elected on the list in unusual circumstances following the death of a candidate in the Port Waikato electorate during the election that created an overhang seat. Nancy moved to New Zealand from China in as a child in 1997. She went on to become a chartered accountant working for large companies like PwC, EY and Fonterra and graduated with a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Nancy and Connor discuss her career before politics, why she decided to stand for election and what drives her as a politician.

Nancy's maiden speech can be watched here. Follow Nancy on Facebook here.

To support Taxpayer Talk, click here

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to email [email protected] 

You can also listen to Taxpayer Talk on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsiHeart Radio and all good podcast apps. 

UPDATE: Fund Medicines, not Movies.

 

I have a major update to our campaign to get the Government to scrap the film and video game subsidies and redirect that money to fund medicines like cancer drugs.

Last week, Jordan and I were with the team at Mystery Creek Fieldays and ran into Finance Minister Nicola Willis! Jordan used the opportunity to interview her and press the issue. 

Jordan put our campaign position to Nicola Willis, and she did not rule it out. In fact, she said that there would be continued "reprioritisation of spending".

I am writing to ask for a few seconds of your time to send an email to Nicola Willis urging her to act now and prioritise funding for medicines like cancer drugs over corporate welfare for Hollywood rich-listers and and gaming executives. 

Nicola Willis discusses cancer drug funding

Watch Jordan press the Minister on why she is prioritising funding movies over medicines. 

Elsewhere, Ms Willis has claimed that there simply isn't enough money at the moment to stick to her pre-election promise to fund the cancer drugs. But looking at her spending priorities, it's clear that there are areas where money could be spent much better.

It's about priorities, Minister

National's promise to fund the thirteen cancer drugs that are available in Australia but not here would cost around $70 million a year. 

This year's budget committed more than $100 million a year towards subsidies for the film and gaming sectors. 

It doesn't take a political scientist to work out what's wrong with that picture...

📧 Fund medicine, not movies 📧

This is about saving lives

I wanted to be the one to lead this campaign because this cause is near to my heart. Like most New Zealanders, I have friends and family who have needed access to life-saving or life-extending treatments for terrible diseases.

Email Nicola Willis to fund Pharmac

Sometimes, they have been lucky enough that the medicine they need is funded by Pharmac. But sadly, in too many cases they have had to forego the best treatment because there has simply not been enough money in the Pharmac kitty to fund it.

Will you send an email demanding change?

It is a reality of life that the best way to get money for the things people expect their taxes to go towards, like medicines, is through economic growth. More prosperous countries have more money to spend – that is the long-term solution to ensuring everyone gets the treatment we need.

But right now, we don't have that privilege and many of those suffering from treatable diseases simply cannot afford to wait. That means that we must ensure that every dollar the Government is spending is put to the best possible use. Funding subsidies for movies and gaming do not meet that standard – and we say it's time for it to go. 

Redirecting film and gaming subsidies towards Pharmac isn't just the economically responsible thing to do, it's the morally right thing to do. 

I have already written to Nicola Willis, but it is people power that makes things happen in politics. Will you take two minutes to send an email to the Finance Minister urging her to make the right decision? 

✍️ SEND YOUR EMAIL NOW ✍️

Thank you for your support.

Connor

Connor_signature
Connor Molloy
Campaigns Manager

New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union

Ps. With enough people-power we can win this campaign. If you know anyone who would also be willing to email Nicola Willis, click here to forward them a link to our email tool. 

Kiwis keep getting poorer because Government won’t take action

Responding to today’s release of the latest New Zealand GDP figures, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“The economy keeps limping along, and people keep getting poorer. GDP per capita has fallen yet again, and it's now been in freefall for well over a year.

“New Zealand might be a fairly rich country now, but that’s not written in stone. Our productivity is already one of the worst in the developed world, and unless we change tack times are only going to get tougher.

“The Budget last month saw spending, deficits, and government debt all increase. Growth needs to be the name of the game, and Nicola Willis needs to go further and faster to be the Finance Minister that finally stops kicking the can down the road.”

Shane Jones corporate welfare gravy train has left the station

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming today’s announcement of further corporate welfare from Regional Development Minister Shane Jones who announced $20 million in handouts to iwi, hapū and Māori businesses.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“The $3.1 million for a visitor centre in Taranaki does nothing except shift funds to less productive areas of the economy while the bureaucracy clips the ticket along the way.

“We have already seen the failure of these kinds of projects with the Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangārei that attracts just 40,000 visitors a year, compared with a promised 450,000. Ministers should not be gambling with taxpayer money.

“Handing out $600,000 to convert land into a kiwifruit orchard will leave a sour taste in the mouths of taxpayers. This is public money for private profit.

“The Government is rightly concerned about some of the barriers to investing and developing land faced by Māori entities. The answer is to reduce these regulatory and legislative barriers, not hand pick special interests to get a leg up over all other businesses.”

Simon Watts not learning from ETS failures of previous Government

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to remove all price controls from the auction of carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) following the most recent auction failure.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Simon Watts is either has no idea what’s going on or he simply doesn’t care enough to ensure that we have a well functioning carbon market that enables the country to lower its emissions at the lowest possible cost.

“The price controls on carbon credits at auction do absolutely nothing except make it more expensive to reduce emissions and bring instability into the carbon market. The Government already sets the quantity of credits available, it does not need to set the price too. Why does the Climate Change Minister think he is Robert Muldoon?

“Removing the floor price for carbon will restore confidence to the market by ensuring credits are able to be traded at the market price. When that price is lower than the current floor price, consumers will benefit from lower prices, rather than the government arbitrarily propping up prices for no environmental gain.”

Chickens coming home to roost for LGNZ

Christchurch City Council has become the latest council to vote to withdraw from Local Government New Zealand. Commenting on LGNZ losing its largest remaining member, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“After years of lobbying to strip local bodies of control over water infrastructure through supporting Three Waters, it’s clear LGNZ has long-since lost its way.

“No one would trust a trade union which took government money to lobby against the interests of employees, and no council should trust LGNZ after it did the same to campaign against their members’ interests.

“The chickens are coming home to roost for LGNZ. Councils across the country should follow the example set by Auckland, Christchurch and many others, and finally cancel their memberships.”

We can't afford cancer drugs, but can afford this?

 

While cancer patients wait for the Government to "find the money" to fund desperately needed modern drugs, the very money meant for health research and saving lives is being flushed down the toilet.

At our weekly staff meeting this morning, the research team took me through the latest batch of grant funding decisions by the Health Research Council.

My heart sank.

I wanted to get the information in front of you ASAP so you can judge for yourself. I'm emailing to ask for your support so we can expose the wasteful spending and force the Government to redirect the cash to modern cancer medicines.

You won't believe the nonsense Wellington is getting away with!

But first, let's remind ourselves what the Health Research Council is. 

According to their website, their purpose is to "support high-quality, high-impact research by investing in People, Ideas and Priorities." They describe themselves as "the home of health research in New Zealand" and "here to improve the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders through our process of identifying and supporting high-quality, high-value research that delivers far-reaching impact within the health and science landscape."

You can see where this is going...



Here are a few examples of just the first round of 2024 funding:

Hapai te hauora: Breathing your ancestors into life

"Hāpai te hauora’ as ‘breathing your ancestors into life’, captures the breadth & connections of a generation – rangatahi Māori–a generation moving forward together. This proposal builds on an HRC funded project (18/651) exploring the ways rangatahi Māori make sense of & live hāpai te hauora through navigating journeys of hauora & wellbeing."

Approved funding: $649,992

Sounds like high quality science! 👀

Timely access to rongoa Māori in cancer care services for Māori

"Prior to Europeans arriving in Aotearoa, traditional Māori way of healing was the only hauora practice Māori knew. Today, traditonal Māori healing is known as Rongoā Māori. Rongoā Māori is diverse and can include karakia [prayer], wai [water], waiata [music], himene [hymns], access to the ngahere [forest] and whenua [land].

For Māori health consumers, patients and whānau accessing cancer care service; seldom they are made aware of or referred early to rongoā Māori practitioners at the beginning of their cancer care journey.

Using tikanga Māori methodology and codesign with Māori health and iwi providers, our method will include interviews, and hui with rongoā Māori practitioners, Māori and Iwi providers, Māori health consumers, patients, their whānau, and health professionals in primary and secondary care in the MidCentral region to explore ways for timely access to rongoā Māori in cancer care services for Māori."

Approved funding: $398,771

Rather than fund the actual cancer medicines, the Government is funding "timely access" to cancer treatments witch-doctor cancer treatments. Ka pai!

If that doesn't work, there is always music therapy 🎶

He Whiringa Māramatanga: Kaupapa Māori Music and healing

"‘He Whiringa Māramatanga’ examines Kaupapa Māori music theories and practices as a pathway to accelerating Māori well-being. Music theory is primarily located within Western music notation, harmony, and tonality. However, Māori Music, particularly through oral forms such as waiata, karakia, ruruku, haka, pūrākau and whakapapa, illustrate that Māori have unique key elements of musical theories to create oral legacies and that traditional Western definitions of ‘music’ may be confining for true Māori creative expression."

Approved funding: $377,550

Or maybe barbershop is more your [cancer's] thing? 🎤💈

Health Promotion Interventions for Pacific men in a Barbershop

"A rapid review and qualitative interviews with Pacific men, Pacific heath promoters and Pacific barbers will inform the development of a Pacific health promoting behaviour change framework and intervention programme in a barbershop setting owned by a Pacific health provider. This first of its kind research in New Zealand brings together an underserved population, a non-traditional setting for health promotion and culturally unique health promotion interventions delivered by an unconventional health and wellbeing workforce (barbers)."

Approved funding: $150,000

Or how about, rather than fixing hospitals, or building nicer family waiting rooms, we splurge $150k on a study to understand the space?! Thanks to the Health Research Council, a very well paid 'space cadet' is coming to the rescue. 🏥

Building room for equity: Culture centred design of hospital waiting rooms

"Hospitals in Aotearoa New Zealand have a legacy founded in colonialism and are designed to Eurocentric principles of health and well-being – as such they are inequitable by design and represent culturally unsafe spaces for many people who need to access them. Hospital waiting rooms represent one such space. Our project is premised on understanding how physical spaces in hospitals shape people’s experiences of care."

Approved funding: $150,000

For our religious taxpayers, there's one for you too! 🙌

Research into Hine te Iwaiwa (who was the wife of Tinirau and is known as the spiritual guardian of childbirth who assists at the entrance into, and the exits from this world) is, as we understand it, worth a lot of money cutting-edge science.

Guided by Hine te Iwaiwa: Exploring Maramataka [traditional Māori lunar calendar] influence on pregnancy Outcomes

"This research aims to explore the effects of incorporating the maramataka, a traditional Māori lunar calendar system guided by the goddess Hine te Iwaiwa, into the context of pregnancy care for wāhine Māori and Maori Midwives."

Approved funding: $400,000

And then there's the help for our Pacific friends. 🌴

Remember, these grants are not for front-line services to help Pacific communities, but rather to "support high-quality, high-impact research"...

Development of a Fijian Model of Health

"The research seeks to develop a Fijian Health Model to address Fijian peoples health in Aotearoa New Zealand."

Approved funding: $649,561

Here's a thought: why not get New Zealand's own health model right (to serve everyone living here) before we start ethnic segmentation of our health system?

Then there's this grant, for nothing other than to support an academic's professional development! 

He Kaakaakura Whakamaatau [Translation: An Experimental Green]

"This programme of senior leadership research and training for Dr Belinda Borell will build on her expertise in kaupapa Māori research and enable her to pursue a development and capacity building plan to grow both her expertise and that of emerging researchers. Focusing on historical trauma, mixed methods will explore poverty and abuse in care."

Approved funding: $649,997

We had a quick look into Dr Borell. If you thought her work was, well, scientific, I've got some bad news.

This is her Massey University profile:

Belinda (Ngati Ranginui, Ngai Te Rangi, Whakatōhea) has recently completed her PhD, The Nature of the Gaze: a conceptual discussion of societal privilege from an indigenous perspective.  The thesis explores how Kaupapa Māori paradigms can make important contributions to research topics that may not be of direct or immediate relevance to Māori communities. Insights gained from a Kaupapa Māori investigation of white privilege in Aotearoa New Zealand are discussed. The thesis argues that cultural hegemony is maintained through structured forgetting, silence, and suppression of dissent which has dire consequences for dominant cultural groups as well as marginal. Structural racism and privilege are amenable to analyses utilising similar frameworks albeit from opposite sides that can provide valuable insights to understanding inequity more broadly. I also examine ways in which Kaupapa Māori analyses of white privilege can illuminate pathways of redress that will benefit all New Zealanders and provide more embracing perspectives of nationhood.

Dr Borell was also recently awarded the Hohua Tutengaehe Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand to further her research into societal privilege.

Congratulations to Belinda for the $649,997 for her 'professional development'. Who knew naval gazing paid so well!? 🥳 🎉

That's just a taste!

These are just a selection of the nutty grants that the Taxpayers' Union will be highlighting over the coming weeks.

But make no mistake, while we can laugh about the decisions being made in Wellington, for the parents of those kids sitting on oncology wards, there is no humour in this. 

More than $30 million of the Health Research Council's annual budget of $125 million seems to have very little to do with health. That money alone is nearly half what is needed to fund the 13 cancer drugs that weren't in last month's budget.

The cancer drugs are not unaffordable, it's a matter of priority.

If you agree that the sorts of grants listed above are not a good use of your money, I'm asking you to chip in so we can put an end to this madness and redirect this money to front-line health and actual scientific research.

Support us to force the Government to take on the academic establishment and vested interests running these rorts

We all know the "experts" will scream to the media the moment the Government touches so-called "science money". That's why the Taxpayers' Union is needed to counter their spin and expose outfits like the "Health Research Council" for what they're doing with our money.

Like so much in government, things get captured. The Health Research Council is now just a group of self-interested academics giving our money to other self-interested academics (if you can call them that).

Will you support the Taxpayers' Union to force fiscal reprioritisation so that this money goes to actual scientific research and front-line medicines like cancer drugs?

>>> Donate to the campaign <<<

While Nicola Willis can shift some of the blame for the underfunding of Pharmac onto the last Labour Government, it simply isn't good enough to suggest there isn't enough to plug the gap, when we are still spraying money up the wall on nonsense like this. She needs political pressure to make the tough decisions and push back against the woke bureaucracy and academic establishment making these decisions.

As you can see, the money isn't going to where they say it is. We can win this – are you with me?

Thank you for your support.

Jordan_signature.jpg
Jordan Williams
Executive Director
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union

ps. The Taxpayers' Union can only hold the Government's feet to the fire with support from people like you. Make a secure and confidential donation here so we can force the Government to take on the "academic establishment" running these rorts.

 

Wellington drivers should pay for Wellington roads

Responding in support of Transport Minister Simeon Brown’s comments that the second Mt Vic Tunnel is likely to be tolled, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“If Wellington drivers want a new tunnel, Wellington drivers should pay for a new tunnel. A user-pays system like tolling means that those who get the benefits of a new road also carry the cost.

“Why should people in Gore, Napier and Kerikeri have to pay for a new tunnel through Mt Victoria they’re never likely to use, all whilst their own roads are falling to bits?

“However, tolling can’t become just another tax-by-the-back-door to fuel Government’s addiction to spending. Tolls should cover the cost of building and maintaining a road, and not a cent more.”

Bonuses for public sector mediocrity need to be taken off the table

Responding to Nicola Willis’ comments about performance pay for public service chief executives, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“KPIs might force public servants to pull their thumbs out, but performance bonuses should only be for Chief Execs delivering exceptional value for taxpayers’ money.

“This Government was elected to tackle bloat in the public service, not to promise pay hikes for Chief Execs barely delivering normal service levels.

“Talking about pay bumps for good performance is less than half the equation. Nicola Willis needs to get sacking chief executives who fail to deliver time and again.”

Taxpayers’ Union welcomes cutting of granny flat red tape

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming today’s announcement that the Government will make it easier to build granny flats without a resource consent.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“For too long, it has been effectively illegal to build affordable housing in New Zealand. Today’s announcement is a good first step to providing more choice and competition in the housing sector which will bring down the price of what is many people’s single largest expense.

“While some groups call for economically illiterate proposals to impose rent controls, new regulations or new taxes, it is encouraging to see a Government committed to addressing the root cause of the housing problem – supply. The answer to any shortage is simply to get government out of the way and cut the red tape that makes it too expensive, too difficult, or even impossible to increase supply.

“While granny flats won’t be suitable for all people, allowing more choice will mean that those wish to take up that option will have the ability to do so which will also free up accomodation elsewhere in the housing market for others.

“We saw with Kiwibuild that government is not competent enough to build houses. It is a welcome change to see more power handed back to the private sector where people have more freedom to do as they wish on their own property. Today’s announcement, along with wider reform of our resource management, zoning and infrastructure systems will do far more to fix the housing crisis than anything achieved over the past six years.”

Anne Tolley abusing her position – should apologise or be sacked

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Tauranga City Council’s Commission Chair, Anne Tolley, for misusing her position to influence the upcoming election to, ironically, replace her as the city returns to democracy.

On TVNZ’s Q+A yesterday, Tolley told Jack Tame “[she] wouldn’t vote for them” in reference to those council candidates who had previously run or been elected to the council.  She has also expressed her support for a ‘hybrid model’ of governance that maintains the powers of the unelected commissioners to curtail the ability of the people of Tauranga to have their say through full democracy.

Commenting, Taxpayers’ Union Local Government Campaigns Manager, Sam Warren, said:

“As an unelected Commissioner, Anne Tolley should not be using her position to play politics, and is supposed to be politically neutral – not that you’d know it.

“The soon-to-be former Commissioner has also pushed for a ‘hybrid model’ of governance nationwide, that has been rejected by Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, which is entirely the right thing to do.

“She told Jack Tame that she understands she’s not Mayor, but in the next breath goes full politician-mode.

“This defining lack of self-awareness calls for either an apology or for Local Government Minister Simeon Brown to cut the engagement off early to demonstrate that the sort of politicisation of official roles will not be tolerated under the new Government.

“How can officials be politically neutral when the official in charge is on national TV slagging off people who are standing to be on the new council?”

Pan Pan, Pan Pan, we don’t need new VIP jets for 5 trips a year

The Taxpayers’ Union is backing calls for there being a better option than two unreliable and occasionally used 757s to transport the Prime Ministerial delegations, and is calling for investigation of leasing one of Australia’s VIP military aircraft, as and when required.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:

“The 757s were never really fit for purpose. While they can be converted to freight carriers, they can only land in the major airports in the Pacific. That’s why the C-130 Hercules do most of the work in terms of aid and disaster relief.

“The main reason they are so unreliable is that they are just not used enough - faults often only become obvious when delegations are relying on them to get somewhere.

“Wayne Mapp’s claim this morning on Newstalk ZB that ‘no airlines are operating aircraft this old’ is totally wrong.  He either doesn’t know what he’s talking about, or is shilling to justify NZDF spending taxpayer money to buy new toys. There are plenty of operating 757 still in passenger service, but they are used every day and are thus, still reliable.

“For the vast majority of international trips, Prime Ministers rightly fly commercial first or business class - something that should not change. The issue arises when Ministers want to take a large delegation, such as on trade missions.  With Air NZ lacking single-isle long haul planes, and being too small an airline to have spare wide bodies for chartering, a more creative solution ought to be found.

“New Zealand used to have a deal with the Australians to use federal VIP land transport. If we can do that for the limos, why not for the planes?

“The Australians have a fleet of two 737 Boeing Business Jets and three Challenger 604s operated by the Australian military but maintained by QANTAS.

“From a cost perspective, NZDF buying VIP jets for, at most, half a dozen trips per year is nuts.

“At least under the Key Government, the successful tenderer for long-haul preferred carrier for Ministers was QANTAS, not Air NZ, anyway. If Australia’s national carrier is good enough for commercial, why not their VIP jets?"

Wellington Chief Exec crosses a line, must be sacked after latest power grab

For the second year in a row, and despite being a major political debate, Wellington City Council Chief Executive Barbara McKerrow has denied elected councillors access to ratepayer-funded legal advice surrounding the sale of the airport shares.

This follows McKerrow this weekend releasing a new code severely limiting councillors’ access to the official information councillors require to do their jobs.

The Taxpayer’s Union has re-launched its petition calling for Barbara McKerrow to be sacked. Commenting on this, the Union’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Wellington Chief Exec Barbara McKerrow believes its her job to tell councillors how to run the council. Stifling reports, denying access to official information, and hiding ratepayer-funded legal advice are par for the course in McKerrow’s little fiefdom.

“Democracy doesn’t stop applying because McKerrow finds it inconvenient. Is it any wonder Wellington is going down the pan when councillors can’t even see how the sausage is made at Wellington City Council?

“Councillors need to flex their muscles and show the Chief Exec that she works for residents, not the other way around. If she can’t come to terms with the city not being her little plaything, then the only job she’s fit for is emptying her desk on her way out.”

Teachers’ unions need to stop prioritising politics over pupils

Responding to reports that the teachers’ unions are once again prioritising politics over pupils and opposing the recommendations made by the government’s Ministerial Advisory Group, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy said:

“Every year we spend more and more on education yet outcomes consistently continue to decline. But when an expert panel finally conducts a review of how to improve education, the Unions are up in arms – presumably because it is a threat to their very existence as cartels that capitalise off politicising education and protecting bad teachers from accountability.

“NZEI President Mark Potter seems to suggest that everything wrong in education has to do with ‘societal pressures on children’ and there’s nothing teachers can do to improve education outcomes. That kind of defeatist thinking is what got us into this mess and is standing in the way of allowing the best teachers and schools to innovate and find ways to improve that can be replicated elsewhere.

“If Mr Potter thinks continuing with the same failing methods that have seen education outcomes continually decline, perhaps he would be better off teaching at Hogwarts or whatever make-believe world he appears to be living in.”

Government refuses to fund cancer drugs, instead bows to gaming sector lobbyists

The Taxpayers’ Union is urging the government to rethink corporate welfare for the gaming sector and direct that funding into life-saving medicines instead.

“Reports suggest that it is Ministers Judith Collins and Todd McClay, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, that are preventing the Government from scrapping corporate handouts to the gaming sector. They must front up and explain why funding the latest mind-numbing game is more important than life-saving cancer drugs.

“The Government plans to spend $100 million a year on corporate welfare for the film and gaming sectors. If that money was put into Pharmac instead, it could fund 13 new cancer treatments that are available in Australia but not here in New Zealand.

“It is completely immoral to line the pockets of the rich and bow to the desires of well-connected lobbyists instead of throwing a literal lifeline to those most in need. It is even worse to not front up and justify why that trade-off was made. New Zealanders need to understand how this decision was reached.”

Taxpayers’ Union welcomes review into health and safety regulations

Responding to today’s announcement that the Government is consulting on reforming health and safety laws, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Overzealous health and safety regulations are one of the biggest handbrakes on productivity, driving up the cost of everything from doing business to building the core infrastructure necessary for this country to function.

“Often these regulations do very little to actually improve people’s safety but add enormous cost and time to doing almost anything. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that placing hundreds of road cones along a small stretch of road and slashing speed limits isn’t necessary for minor roadside repairs, yet the ambiguous and nonsensical health and safety rules currently in place have done exactly that.

“There was a time when the health and safety rules could be summed up by the phrase ‘don’t be a dick’, now you need lawyers and compliance officers just to do even the most simple of tasks. We look forward to the Government bringing back commonsense and letting people get on with their lives.”

Miserable cuts to the bureaucracy locking in the growth under Labour

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the revelations in yesterday’s information release from the Public Service Commission that shows the bureaucracy has only reduced by 416 FTEs since December last year.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Is that it? After all the noise about how many jobs have been lost, the number of bureaucrats is still 2166 more than in June last year and more than 18,000 people higher than in 2017 when Labour came to power.

“These staff reductions aren’t even enough to offset the enormous growth in the Ministry for the Environment, let alone across the entire public service bureaucracy. The Government seems determined to lock in the bureaucratic bloat that has occurred over the past six years.

“The Government needs to push harder and faster to cut staff in order to bring the books back into shape and drive down inflation. The Minister argues that many budget decisions are yet to flow through into job reductions but that is simply not good enough – thousands of the jobs that needed to be cut would have been obvious from day one, it’s time they got on with the job.”

Government must scrap failing film subsidies and fund Pharmac instead

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the government to axe all taxpayer funding for films and direct that money into Pharmac instead following reports that the Film Commission spent $88 million on film subsidies that generated just $14 million in box office revenue since 2020.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“No one in their right mind believes that pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into film and gaming subsidies delivers better value to the taxpayer than funding life-saving medicines through Pharmac. Today’s revelations simply further make the case for this urgent reprioritisation.

“Corporate welfare like film subsidies is a bad idea regardless, but when Pharmac is actively short on funding for essential treatments and medicines it is a no-brainer to put this money to better use.

“Already thousands of New Zealanders have signed our petition to fund medicines not movies, it’s time the Government demonstrates their priorities are in the right place and not in the pockets of Hollywood billionaires.”

Wasted $33.5 million on Northland railway shows danger of putting pet projects before economics

Wasted $33.5 million on Northland railway shows danger of putting pet projects before economics

Already, more than $33.5m has been spent attempting to reopen a mothballed section of railway between Kauri and Ōtiria despite the project now being put on hold.

Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Over $25 million worth of railway sleepers are sat collecting dust in ditches and laybys across Northland for a boondoggle project hanging in limbo.

“The section of railway was mothballed for a reason – people didn’t want to use it enough to make it viable. The tens of millions lined up to recommission this white elephant never should’ve been approved in the first place.

“This and Auckland Light Rail show what happens when you try and brute-force pet projects through without proper planning. Wishful thinking shouldn’t be directing infrastructure policy.”

Fund medicine not movies - Taxpayers’ Union calls for scrapping corporate welfare to fund Pharmac

In last month’s Budget, the Government claimed it could not find the $70-80 million needed to deliver on National’s election promise to fund new cancer medicines. At the same time, over $100 million every year – more than enough to fund the medicines – is being doled out in corporate welfare for the film and gaming industries.

The Taxpayers’ Union has today launched a petition calling for these subsidies to be scrapped and the money to be redirected to funding Pharmac.

Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“When the Government would rather line the pockets of Hollywood fat cats than deliver life-saving medicines for New Zealand’s most vulnerable, clearly they need to get their priorities straight.

“Treasury’s own numbers suggest these subsidies cost New Zealand more than they generate. Redirecting this money to fund things like the 13 life-saving cancer treatments available across the ditch but not in New Zealand would save lives and still be up to $30-million-a-year cheaper.

“Billionaires like Peter Jackson can do without taxpayer-funded corporate handouts, but sick Kiwis can’t go without medicine.”

NEW POLL: Gap between Government and Opposition narrows

 

National is down 1.9 points on last month to 35.4% while Labour is also down marginally on 29.4% (-0.6 points).

The Greens remain in third place up 2.5 points on last month to 12.7% while ACT is relatively unchanged on 9.7% (+0.3 points). New Zealand First is also steady on 5.6% (+0.1 points) and Te Pāti Māori is up 0.9 points to 4.0%.

For the minor parties, Outdoors & Freedom is on 1.3%, TOP is on 0.8%, Vision NZ is on 0.5%, the New Conservatives are on 0.1%, and the combined total for all other parties is 0.5%.

This month's results are compared to last month's Taxpayers' Union – Curia poll.

National is down three seats on last month to 44 and Labour is also down one seat to 36.

The Greens are up three seats to 16 while ACT is unchanged on last month on 12. Both NZ First and Te Pāti Māori are unchanged on last month on seven and six seats, respectively. 

The combined projected seats for the Centre-Right of 63 seats is down three seats from last month. On these numbers, National and ACT would require the support of NZ First to form a government.

The combined seats for the Centre-Left is up 2 seats on 58.

This calculation assumes that all electorate seats are held. A Parliament on these figures would include one overhang seat.

More detailed results, including net favourability and major voting issues, are available on our website.

Taxpayer Update: Let's fund Pharmac, not films 💊 > 🎥 | The Maori Party and Mr Tamihere 🗳️👀 | POLL: Opposition gains 📊 | Parliament now making wine 🍾🍾🍾🤦‍♂️

The latest political poll is out (see midway down this email) but first, we ask the question: when New Zealand can't afford lifesaving cancer drugs, are hundreds of millions in new film subsidies to Hollywood film and video game studios really the best use of taxpayer money?

Budget 2024 – your verdict is in ⚖️

The dust has now settled on Nicola Willis's first budget. So how did she do? Last week, we asked our 200,000 supporters to rate the Budget out of ten.

The most common answer was 8 out of ten, with the average score being 5.99 (so basically 6) – a narrow passing mark.

Budget out of 10

From the comments, the top 'highlight' was the (modest) tax cuts (this is, after all, a taxpayer union!) with the 'lowlight' being National's broken promise to fund a list of cancer drugs.

And we've heard you on the drugs!  As part of this week's efforts to highlight low priority government spending and waste, we're asking:

Why is the Government prioritising movie subsidies over medicine? 🎥 > 💊

The Government's decision not to stump up funding for 13 cancer treatments that are available in Australia, is a mix of politics and economics.

First, the economics. Australia's GDP per capita (what the country's economy produces per person) is now more than one third higher than New Zealand's.

So much of New Zealand's political bun fighting comes back to the sad fact that we want first-world Government services (and rightly so), but are not running a first world economy to pay for it.  

So the right question we should be asking is: How do we make New Zealand more productive and catch up with Australia?

But, this is also about political prioritisation. How can the Government spend so much money on junk, instead of funding important cancer drugs?

And it's a very fair question.

That's why today we are launching a new campaign, calling on the Government to fund medicines, not movies.

This year, Wellington is doling out more than $100 million of taxpayer money on corporate welfare to the film and gaming sectors. Meanwhile, the cost to fund new cancer treatments is $70–80 million dollars. What would you prefer the money to be spent on?

Pharmac Not Films

We say the priority should go to Pharmac to support lifesaving healthcare, not billionaire Hollywood bigwigs and studios. We've launched an online petition here.

Now, I'm sure some film-buffs will claim that we must subsidise film production if we are to enjoy the economic benefits of the jobs the movie business brings to New Zealand. But if subsiding favoured industries was a recipe for economic success, why just film and video games? 

Taxing successful businesses more for politicians to pick and choose which industries to subsidise is best left in the 1970s. It didn't work then, and it doesn't work now.

And this isn't just us saying it: The boffins at Treasury have tried to call for the credits to roll on the billion-dollar scheme. The Government's own numbers suggest that the subsidies cost more than the economic benefits they generate.

✍️ If you agree, {{recipient.first_name_or_friend}}, take 20 seconds to sign the petition calling on more funding for medicine and less for movies ✍️

Taxpayers’ Union at Mystery Creek: Come and meet the team @ National Fieldays 🚜👋

If you're at Fieldays this week, come and say hello and sign the petition in-person.

Fieldays

We'll be at site RM89 in the rural living marqueeKeep an eye out on our Facebook page for updates too and speaking events during the four days.

Mr Tamihere, his marae, the census, and the Māori Party 🫤

Last week's explosive accusations being made by whistleblowers and first reported by Andrea Vance in the Sunday Star Times are about as serious as they get in a democracy.

The first accusation is that John Tamihere's urban marae – which was part of a Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency drive to promote last year’s census – was photocopying the data and using it for a political drive for Te Pāti Māori (of which Mr Tamihere is President). The whistleblowers claim that the information was then used to target Māori electorate voters in the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate.

SMSThe second set of accusations relate to text messages urging people to vote for Te Pāti Māori – sent from a four-digit number, which was the same as that used by Waipareira Trust to send out Covid-19 vaccination messages. Mr Tamihere is the Chief Executive of Waipareira Trust.

The messages also appear to break electoral legislation, because they do not have the required "promotor statement", which is in law so that people know who is behind (and paying) for electoral advertisements/communications. 

It was not previously public, but during the election campaign, the Labour Party complained to the Electoral Commission about text messages. Not really a surprise they're upset: their candidate lost to Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp (the former CEO of the very same urban marae) by just 42 votes.

The third set of allegations relate to accusations that Marae staff who delivered census forms also included enrolment forms for voters to change from the general to the Māori roll and even gave away $100 supermarket vouchers, wellness packs and food parcels to encourage them to complete the forms.

From a taxpayers perspective, what makes the allegations even more concerning are the suggestions that the whistleblowers had reported their concerns to multiple government agencies, but that the agencies had failed to act! 

The Taxpayers' Union was one of the first organisations to call for a public, and most importantly, independent inquiry. Operating a census is one of the most basic functions of the State and public confidence should be guarded at all costs. We say that the Stats NZ review, for example, is nuts when it is officials holding the pen on the terms of enquiry into their own conduct.

So yesterday's announcement from the Prime Minister that the (acting) Public Services Commissioner will be doing a thorough review into the actions of the government agencies is very welcome (Radio NZ also covered the announcement and our response here).

But here's the thing, the Public Services Commission (nor Stats NZ, or MSD) cannot require Mr Tamihere, his entities, nor the Māori Party to front up with the necessary data or documents to determine what's really happened one way or another.

Formal complaint to the Privacy CommissionerLast week, I wrote to the Privacy Commissioner calling on him to launch an investigation. The Privacy Commissioner has extraordinary powers to subpoena witnesses, examine under oath, and require the production of records and documents. I made the case that Parliament gave the Commissioner these extraordinary powers for the most serious potential breaches of privacy. If this isn't among the most serious, what is?!

You can read the letter to the Privacy Commissioner requesting a formal investigation here or listen to me chatting about it with Jack Tame who was filling in for Heather du-Plessis Allan.

Finally, we should make clear: Mr Tamihere has strenuously denied that census information was collected and misused as well the other allegations. He said the allegations were driven by complainants with a gripe and even took a swipe at your humble Taxpayers' Union in a late night rant media release issues last week.

Assuming everything is “baseless and simply untrue”, it shows why Mr Tamihere needs an urgent inquiry to allow him to clear his good name... The Privacy Commissioner is the right body to do this as it has the power to summons witnesses and examine under oath.

UPDATE: This morning, speaking to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB, the Prime Minister correctly made the distinction between what the Public Service Commission would be looking into (the actions of the government agencies) and what the Police and Privacy Commissioner can do (i.e. powers to investigate the third parties).

We haven't yet, heard back from the Privacy Commissioner, but we're hoping the Prime Minister perhaps knows something we don't in his suggestion that the Privacy Commissioner will get to the bottom of what's happened. We'll keep you posted.

Parliament making pour decisions 🍷

Parliamentary Wine

It's wine o’clock in Wellington because the Parliamentary Service has decided it would be wise to branch out into wine!

Rather than showcase wine from vineyards around the country, Parliamentary Services have opted to develop an "in-house signature range" to be served at internal events, and functions – and also gifted to visiting foreign dignitaries. 

And, who would have guessed, but Parliamentarians drink a lot. According to tender documents, the minimum order is 5,000 bottles of red, 5,000 of white, 4,000 of sparkling (hey, we're in recession after all!), and 300 ports.

We understand Parliamentary Services have been inundated with offers to join the "tasting panel". They say that they will be ensuring it is made up of “diverse people” from across the Parliamentary Service with “varied backgrounds”.  After all, wine not? It’s only taxpayer money! Thank goodness they're taking it so seriously...

NEW POLL: Gap narrows between Government and Opposition 📊

The Government won't be over the moon with this month's hot-off-the-press Taxpayers' Union – Curia poll. It's the first of the three major nationwide political polls since the Budget (and unlike the 1News and Newshub efforts, the Taxpayers' Union – Curia poll isn't even partially government funded!). The poll suggests Nicola Willis has failed to switch many votes.

Here it is:

Decided Party Vote over time

Compared with last month's poll, National is down 1.9 points to 35.4 percent while Labour is also down marginally to 29.4 percent (-0.6 points).

The Greens remain in third place up 2.5 points to 12.7 percent while ACT is relatively unchanged on 9.7 percent (+0.3 points). New Zealand First is also steady on 5.6% (+0.1 points) and Te Pāti Māori is up 0.9 points to 4.0%.

For the minor parties, Outdoors & Freedom is on 1.3 percent, TOP 0.8 percent, Vision NZ 0.5 percent, New Conservatives 0.1 percent, and the combined total for all other parties was 0.5 percent.

Here is how these results would translate to seats in Parliament:

Seats

National is down three seats on last month to 44 and Labour is also down one seat to 36. The Greens are up three seats to 16 while ACT is unchanged on last month on 12. Both NZ First and Te Pāti Māori are unchanged on last month on seven and six seats, respectively. 

The combined projected seats for the Centre-Right of 63 seats is down three seats from last month. On these numbers, National and ACT would require the support of NZ First to form a government. The combined seats for the Centre-Left is up 2 seats on 58. This assumes that all electorate seats are held. A Parliament on these numbers would include one overhang seat.

For favourability ratings, major voting issues, and to find out how to get access to our full polling reports (including geographic breakdowns), head over to our website.

Taxpayer Talk: MPs in Depth – Dr Hamish Campbell 🎙️

Taxpayer Talk: Hamish Campbell

This week on Taxpayer TalkI sat down with the National MP for Ilam, Hamish Campbell.

Hamish reclaimed the previously safe National seat of Ilam at the 2023 election, following it turning red for the first time in 2020. Prior to entering Parliament, Hamish had been a medical researcher and university lecturer using his Bachelor's degree in genetics and PhD in viruses and cancer from the University of Otago. Hamish shares his views on politics, why he wanted to be an MP, and provides an interesting insight on some of his unique hobbies that he has enjoyed over the years.

Listen to the episode on our website | Apple Podcasts, | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

Thank you for your support.

Jordan

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Jordan Williams
Executive Director

New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union

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Media Mentions:

NewstalkZB Jason Walls: Budget 2024 was only ever going to be 'okay' (01:52)

NewstalkZB The Sunday Panel: Did the 2024 Budget go too far? (04:45)

Newshub 'Silly' inconsistency: Police pay council rates while schools, hospitals and churches don't

interest.co.nz Brian Easton is impressed by how effective the Taxpayers' Union has been. He looks at their recipe of how to run a successful pressure group

NZ Herald Budget 2024: The dilemma that’s destroying us - Simon Wilson

NewstalkZB THE RE-WRAP: Bad Guys Going In the Wrong Direction

ACT Free Press ACT-ing Prime Minister

RNZ Claims of Census data misuse by Manurewa Marae probed by Stats NZ

RNZ Claims marae misused census data - latest details

The Working Group Budget Battles and Global Affairs | GUESTS: Maria Slade, Matthew McCarten & Jordan Williams

NZ Herald Budget 2024: Finance Minister Nicola Willis on tax cuts charm offensive as Labour highlights cuts

Waikato Times More than 1000 council staff across Waikato earning $100,000-plusMore than 1000 council staff across Waikato earning $100,000-plus

The Spinoff Is the next big media merger NZ on Air marrying the Film Commission?

NewstalkZB  Chris Hipkins: Labour leader on 'very serious' allegations against Te Pāti Māori

Chris Lynch Media Growing Investigations into John Tamihere and Te Pāti Māori Spark Calls for Comprehensive Inquiry

Business Desk Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade a 'sitting duck' for cyberattacks after $33m cloud IT flop

The Post PM 'monitoring closely' investigations into census allegations

NewstalkZB The Taxpayers Union has called for the Privacy Commissioner to investigate Te Pāti Māori allegations

BusinessDesk Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade a 'sitting duck' for cyberattacks after $33m cloud IT flop

RNZ Privacy Commissioner seeks more detail on possible census data breach at marae

RNZ Mediawatch for 9 June 2024 (10:54)

 

MPs in Depth: Hamish Campbell

Hamish Campbell MP

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Jordan sat down with National Party MP, Dr Hamish Campbell. 

Hamish reclaimed the previously safe National seat of Ilam at the 2023 election, following it turning red for the first time in 2020. Prior to entering Parliament, Hamish has been a medical researcher and university lecturer using his Bachelor's degree in genetics and PhD in viruses and cancer from the University of Otago. Hamish shares his views on politics, why he wanted to be an MP and provides an interesting insight on some of his unique hobbies that he has enjoyed over the years.

Hamish's maiden speech can be watched here. Follow Hamish on Facebook here.

To support Taxpayer Talk, click here

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to email [email protected] 

You can also listen to Taxpayer Talk on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsiHeart Radio and all good podcast apps. 

Richlister Peter Jackson should refuse corporate welfare to allow more funding for Pharmac instead


The Taxpayers’ Union congratulates Sir Peter Jackson on coming in at number 5 on this year’s NBR rich list and urges him to refuse any corporate welfare for his upcoming films so that the government can fund Pharmac instead.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Taxpayer money should go towards medicine not movies. Sir Peter’s films have already received hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate handouts thanks to the New Zealand taxpayer. With a combined net worth with his wife of an estimated $3 billion, it is clear that Sir Peter has benefitted significantly from generous taxpayer support – it’s time he returned the favour.

“While a good first step is refusing to take any further money, we encourage him to go further and return all of the taxpayer funding he has received so that the money can be used to increase the Pharmac budget to fund the life-saving medicines New Zealanders need.

“This gesture would hardly break the bank for Sir Peter but would go a long way to delivering more life-changing medicine to those battling illness. As an indication of what this money could do, the amount of money spent on film and gaming subsidies each year is approximately $30 million more than what it would cost to fund 13 new cancer treatments in New Zealand.

“Obviously funding decisions should be made by Pharmac, but it should be clear to all what is a better use of limited taxpayer funding – we hope Sir Peter Jackson agrees.”

The Government must scrap taxpayer funding for EV charging rort

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to scrap its EV charging rort that will see millions of taxpayer dollars funnelled into the hands of private companies despite the policy doing absolutely nothing to reduce New Zealand’s net emissions.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“National is supposed to be a party that believes in markets. Why are they wasting millions of dollars on a boondoggle that will do little more than subsidise wealthy Tesla owners and dish out corporate welfare to the very people who campaigned against them with misleading and deceptive advertising during the election period?

“Sock-puppet lobby group Better NZ Trust is urging the government to ‘just get on and spend it’ – very convenient for a group whose founder and trustee, Steve West, is also a director and major shareholder of ChargeNet a private company that has received more than $7 million in corporate welfare from EECA to subsidise their commercially operated charging stations.

“Simeon Brown and Simon Watts know that this won’t reduce New Zealand’s net emissions and is nothing more than an expensive virtue signal filling the blackhole created from their inability to explain their climate policy and the Emissions Trading Scheme.

“Any uptick in the use of EVs as a result of this policy may reduce transport emissions but, under New Zealand’s capped ETS, this reduction will be completely nullified by an increase in emissions in other sectors as carbon credits that would have been purchased for transport emissions are simply sold to other emitters to use. The end result is taxpayers are left out of pocket while the country’s emissions remain unchanged.”

Credit rating agency shot across the bow a danger to New Zealanders’ living standards

The Taxpayers’ Union says that the comments from credit ratings agency Fitch overnight represents a major threat to New Zealand’s public finances and New Zealanders’ living standards should the country see a credit ratings downgrade and higher costs of borrowing.

Taxpayers’ Union Economist Ray Deacon said:

“On budget forecasts, out last week, we’re already paying $10 billion per year in interest which is more than we pay on law and order or defence or school education and amounts to $5,092 per household.

“More borrowing to fund continuous government operating deficits is not a sustainable strategy. The Government simply has to get control of its expenditure and reduce it much more significantly than it has in Budget 2024. Yet another set of forecasts where a return to surplus is only at the end of the forecast period looks like a continuation of the game of kicking the ‘surplus’ can down the road.

“It would seem that Fitch might agree with us.”

Surge in dividend payments entirely predictable following trust tax hikes

Commenting on news today that companies’ dividend payments more than doubled in the tax year to 31 March from $23.6 billion to $49.4b ahead of the increase in the trustee tax rate from 33 to 39 percent, Taxpayers’ Union Head of Campaigns, Callum Purves, said:

“While there is a case to be made for aligning the trustee tax rate with the top rate of income tax, this should be done by bringing the top income tax rate down from Labour’s punitive 39 percent, not by jacking up the trust tax to the same level.

“Clearly, today’s news shows the significant effort people are willing to put in in order to avoid the higher trust tax rates. This will only be exacerbated now that the higher 39% rate is in force. When the difference was just 5 percentage points, the asset protection advantages outweighed the higher rate in many cases.

“Now that the trust and income tax rates are 11 percentage points higher than the company and PIE tax rate of 28 percent, there is an even stronger incentive to move their assets out of trusts and into company structures and PIEs because the asset protection advantages are no longer worth the much higher rate.

“Rather than hitting those at the big end of town with higher taxes who can simply rearrange their finances into different structures, these changes hit the little guy – grandchildren putting money aside for their grandchildren or farmers whose family home is within the farm – and who can’t easily change their tax structures.

“It is now clear that the trustee tax rate has failed in its objectives and those with the means to do so are simply avoiding paying the higher rate as predicted. Nicola Willis needs to revisit these unfair changes immediately before they have an even more punitive effect on Kiwi families.”

The Clean Car Standard should just be scrapped altogether

Commenting on the Government’s review of the Clean Car Standard, which sees Minister Simeon Brown look to adjust the targets to make them more ‘achievable’ for vehicle companies, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman, Alex Murphy, said:

“Much like the Clean Car Discount was just middle-class welfare that did nothing to help lower New Zealand’s emissions, the Clean Car Standard also unnecessarily distorts the vehicle market for no environmental gain.

“New Zealand’s net emissions are already capped under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) – using regulations that make it illegal to import certain cars will only reduce emissions in the transport sector, while subsequently freeing up more carbon credits to be used by the rest of the economy. In other words, none of it makes a shred of difference to New Zealand’s net emissions.

“Worse still, the Clean Car Standard reduces competition in the vehicle sector driving up the costs of all vehicles, including EVs, pushing essential transport further out of reach for many families. The feel-good, do-nothing scheme should be scrapped altogether.”

Taxpayers’ Union calls on Privacy Commissioner to open formal investigation into alleged misuse of census data by John Tamihere entities

The Taxpayers’ Union has written to the Privacy Commissioner this morning calling on him to launch an investigation into alleged misuse of census data by Auckland’s Manurewa Marae, entities associated with John Tamihere, and Te Pāti Māori.

Taxpayers’ Union Spokeperson, Jordan Williams, said:

“The allegations made this morning on a Newstalk ZB interview with Allan Hulse, an employment representative for workers at the Marae and MSD, suggest that various agencies were told of the allegations but failed to act prior to the matters becoming public on Sunday.”

“When part of the allegations are that Government agencies failed to act despite being tipped off by whistleblowers, it is not appropriate for the agencies to be managing the investigations.

“Earlier this week, Stats NZ announced that it has commissioned an external investigator to look into whether Census data has been misused. It is not clear whether the scope of that includes the allegations made by Allan Hulse, but in any case, without the ability to compel witnesses, or require third parties to provide information, it will be hopeless.

“If the allegations are true, and census data ended up in the Te Party Māori’s political databases, are they really going to hand over that information without being legally required to do so? Stats NZ are either kidding themselves or want a report that states ‘nothing to see here’.

“That’s why it is most appropriate for the Privacy Commissioner to lead this. He has the power to summons witnesses, examine under oath, and require the production of information and documents.

“The integrity and protection of census data is among the most important to be protected in a democratic society. Public confidence should be guarded at all costs. We can’t think of a more appropriate circumstance for the Privacy Commissioner to use all the powers at his disposal to get to the bottom of what has happened and provide public confidence in the handling of the allegations.”

The Taxpayers’ Union letter to the Privacy Commissioner can be read here.

Police Commissioner’s job is to enforce the law, not publicly lobby the government to change it

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming comments from Police Commissioner Andrew Coster where he appears to be lobbying the government to change alcohol regulations. Taxpayers’ Union Spokesperson, Jordan Williams, said:

“Andrew Coster is acting as a constitutional barbarian.  There is a long-held constitutional convention that Police - especially leadership - enforce the law, not lobby to change it.

“Who does the Police Commissioner think he is? If he wants to get involved in political campaigning, he should stand down.

“It appears Mr Coster is trying to have it both ways by saying it is not his job to be advocating for law changes before going on to do exactly that. Leading Morning Report with stories about the Commissioner advocating for minimum pricing of alcohol is a middle finger to the conventions Mr Coster is supposed to protect.

“The Police Minister and Public Service Commission need to pull the Commissioner into line.”

Four-year council terms must come with right of recall

Commenting on reports that former National Minister and current Mayor of Nelson, Nick Smith, will chair a group exploring local government electoral system reforms, Taxpayers’ Union Head of Campaigns, Callum Purves, said:

“Ratepayers across the country are rightly frustrated by a toxic combination of sky-high rate hikes, wasteful spending and cuts to core council services. Three-year terms are one of the few checks and balances voters have on councils when they fail to keep their election promises.

“If four-year terms are to be introduced, they must come with the right of recall so that voters have the opportunity to kick out poorly performing elected officials. This would raise the political cost of squeezing ratepayers until the pips squeak and focus minds to deliver more efficient services.

“The group must also ensure that it properly consults the public on all options it is considering so that people across New Zealand can have their say on any proposed reforms. Any campaign for four-year terms will not attract public support if it is led by the very politicians who would benefit."

Manurewa Marae allegations warrant public inquiry

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to form a public inquiry under the Inquiries Act to ensure that MSD and Stats NZ are not tasked with reviewing their, alleged, lack of action following complaints from whistleblowers that the Manurewa Marae illegally used census data collation to booster the Māori Party’s electoral data gathering.

“These allegations are on the most serious end in terms of misuse of census information,” said Jordan Williams, a Spokesperson for the Taxpayers’ Union.

“It warrants an independent review to establish both what has happened, and whether agencies have responded with appropriate urgency.”

“Public inquiries have the power to require the production of evidence, to compel witnesses, and to take evidence on oath. Given the seriousness of the allegations reported by the Sunday Star Times over the weekend, that looks to be justified, and necessary to ensure continued public confidence.”

Taxpayer Update: Snap Budget Poll 📊 | National spends more than Labour 💥 | Government must go further and faster ✂️

Happy King's Birthday weekend!

For the team at the Taxpayers' Union, Budget week is always the busiest of the year. This week's Taxpayer Update wraps up our coverage, and (more importantly) asks you, what did you think of Budget 2024?

I've had thousands of responses to our initial reaction to Budget 2024 – I can't recall receiving so many emails in just a few days! So we thought we'd do a poll of our supporters: did Nicola Willis nail it, or did she fall short?

Budget 2024

>> Click here to give your score out of ten on Budget 2024 <<

Why this year's Budget was more important than most ⏰

Nicola Willis' choicesA lot of National Party supporters are making the point that the last government got New Zealand into the financial doo-doo and that we should lay off our criticism of this year's Budget.

{{recipient.first_name_or_friend}}, personally, I consider the last government the worst in my lifetime. I sweated blood to get rid of them last year; through the election campaign we chased Chris Hipkins and Grant Robertson around with the Debt Clock, Debt Monster, held them to account on Three Waters, the outrageous "Central Planning Committee" proposal to replace the RMA – heck, we even launched a tongue-in-cheek removal company "Robbo's Removals" to highlight to voters just how bad things had become because of Grant Robertson.

But we didn't work so hard to expose the last Government to elect a new one that, in its first Budget, is increasing overall government spending, and borrowing at an even faster rate. From a personal perspective, that is what made Thursday working through the materials in the Beehive lock-up so disappointing: this budget effectively locks in Grant Robertson's post-COVID so-called 'ballooned' spending.

SNAP Budget Poll: Kiwis want Nicola Willis to go further, faster, harder ⏩ ⏩ 

Weekend HeraldThis morning's Weekend Herald covers our snap post-budget poll. And while the Nats have suggested we have been a little hard on Nicola Willis, it seems the majority of Kiwi voters agree with our broad critiques of Budget 2024. 

On tax cuts, Kiwis want Nicola Willis to go further. A majority of respondents (51%) think that the $25 a week less tax for the average earner doesn’t go far enough and want to see further tax reductions. That's compared to just 34% who are opposed.

And on public spending too, the public thinks the Government needs to do more to cut the waste. By a ratio of nearly 2 to 1, Kiwis think Nicola Willis should get public spending as a share of the whole economy back below the 30%. This was a target set by Labour and the Greens no less, but next year the Government will only get spending down to 33%.

When it comes to tackling the deficit left by Grant Robertson, there is no appetite for increasing taxes (-30% net support) or increasing borrowing (-39%). Kiwis want the Government to focus on driving higher economic growth (+78%) and by getting tougher on decreasing spending (+49%).

In the interests of transparency, we've made the full results and breakdowns available over on our website.

Weekend Herald 2Nicola Willis said that she won’t be able to deliver further tax reductions until she gets the books back into surplus in 2027/28. But these results demonstrate that New Zealanders would back her to reduce wasteful spending by much more and much sooner so that she can get the books back into the black and alleviate the tax burden even further next year.

The Weekend Herald coverage of the snap poll is in this news item and Claire Trevett's column.

Three cheers for tax relief! 🥲🥂

Nicola Willis says her tax relief package is "modest but meaningful". If you've not already checked what you're in line for, head over to The Treasury's tax calculator here.

But the emphasis really is on the word "modest". For the average earner, the tax reduction only unwinds the effects of three years' worth of inflation and is just half of the $49 Nicola Willis needed to deliver to catch Kiwis up for the last 14 years of stealth tax hikes due to inflation tipping people into higher tax brackets.

But didn't Labour leave the books in a mess? 😡

Absolutely. No one would deny that Nicola Willis and the new coalition had a challenge on their hands after the reckless budgets of the last Government: 84 percent more spending since 2017, more than 18,000 extra bureaucrats, and borrowing $75 million every day.

But while the Government has made some progress, the savings they have delivered are pretty small fry. 

In cash terms, Nicola Willis will be spending more than Labour did in each and every year of this budget. And it's not likely that spending as a share of our economy will get down to the level set out in Grant Robertson's big-spending 2019 Wellbeing Budget until at least 2038. That's 14 years away.

Well this is awkward 😬

A friend of the Taxpayers' Union pointed us to a speech from last year where Christopher Luxon accuses then Finance Minister Grant Robertson of having an 'addiction to spending' not once, but ten times. Awkward for Nicola Willis that she's spending even more, despite the election mandate to, well, spend less.

We couldn't help ourselves... 🤭

So how is the Government funding the tax reductions? 🧮 🧐

As well as some limited savings and the scrapping of Labour white elephants like Three Waters and Auckland Light Rail, there are also a laundry list of new taxes, levies and rebates to balance the books. Some make more sense than others:

✅ User pays immigration levies: New immigrants to New Zealand will have to cover the full costs of their visas. This is a sensible move. Why should the Kiwi taxpayer subsidise the costs of people who want to move here?

✅ Climate Dividend: Some of the money raised through auctions of carbon credits in our Emissions Trading Scheme will be used to fund tax reductions rather than being used to fund corporate welfare for climate initiatives that don’t actually reduce emissions (any emissions reduced are just made available elsewhere under our fixed-cap scheme). 

🟠 More money for tax inspectors: More money will be given to IRD to chase after those who are not paying their tax bills in the hope that this brings in a lot more revenue than it costs. The proof of this pudding will be in the eating. 

🟠 Fees ‘free’ tuition in the final year: Rather than getting the first year of university tuition courtesy of the taxpayer, students will get the final year paid instead. This is an improvement as it ensures we aren’t covering the costs of dropouts but the middle-class welfare that is fees ‘free’ should be scrapped entirely. 

🟠 Taxing online casino operators: Collecting revenue through a gaming duty on online casino operators isn’t particularly bad, so long as it taxes them in the same way as in-person gambling companies.

❌ Removing commercial building depreciation: Businesses will no longer be able to offset the costs of deteriorating buildings. That means less investment in improvements to things like apartment blocks or improving the earthquake ratings of older offices. 

❌ Digital Services Tax: This will force big international companies to pay more tax in New Zealand but raises concerns that this may breach the spirit of free trade agreements and could lead to costly retaliatory tariffs that cost the country more than the tax revenue.

In the media: making the case for taxpayers 📺

Jordan on RNZ post-Budget

I joined RNZ's Morning Report yesterday explaining why we were disappointed with the Budget and outlining why the Government needed to go further. Have a listen online here.

Over on The Platform, Connor was chatting to Sean Plunket and scored the Budget against our three key tests relating to tax, spending and debt, along with giving a few examples of additional areas he would like to see spending cuts.

Connor and Sean Plunkett

Watch the interview here.

Heather du Plessis-Allan doesn't hold back 😳

Over on NewstalkZB, Heather du Plessis-Allan covered our 'Mother of all Disappointments' reaction on Thursday's Drive show before putting some of our main criticisms of the Budget to the Minister of Finance herself.

Heather doesn't hold back and the interview with Nicola Willis is worth the time. Have a listen here.

We were also covered in the NBR and interest.co.nz.

Our policy guru, James, gives his verdict ⚖️

James Ross op-ed

Writing for The Post on the evening of the Budget, our Head of Policy, James Ross, gave his verdict on the Budget and what he thinks the Finance Minister ought to have done: 

Everything needed to deliver tax relief for the squeezed middle was ripe for the taking. But this Budget showed a Government which has buckled under pressure from the Wellington elite.

Kiwis needed a blockbuster Budget, but all they’ve got is a hackneyed reboot of Grant Robertson’s box-office flop.

Read the full piece over at Stuff's The Post website.

And from the experts: what did two of NZ's leading economists think?🎙️

I sat down with two of New Zealand's top economists just back from the Budget Lock Up. Suffice it to say that neither was very impressed with he Budget and (just like the Taxpayers' Union, apparently! 😳 ) have probably been taken off Nicola Willis' Christmas card list. 😥

Dr Eric Crampton is a semi-regular guest on the podcast and is the Chief Economist at The New Zealand Initiative think tank

Cameron Bagrie heads his own firm, Bagrie Economics, specialising in economic research, analysis and consultancy. 

The podcast with Eric is here.

The podcast with Cameron is here.

Taxpayer Talk is also available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, iHeart Radio, and every good podcast platform.

That's all from us for this Budget week. Enjoy your long weekend!

Jordan

Jordan_signature.jpg
Jordan Williams
Executive Director

New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union

 

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Media Mentions:

Kiwiblog The Government must halt taxpayer funding of union staff 

NewstalkZB The Huddle: Is the closure of Smith & Caughey's a sign of bigger economic problems?

NewstalkZB Politics Thursday: Labour's Ginny Andersen and National's Chris Penk on the budget, protests and Kainga Ora (23:07)

Greymouth Star MP spending questioned [print only]

RNZ RNZ Budget Day Special (56:07)

The Post Budget 2024: A swing and a miss from Nicola Willis

The Post Budget 2024: Entrenching Labour's big-spending approach to government

NewstalkZB Heather du Plessis-Allan – Full Show Podcast: 30 May 2024 (38:50)

NZ Herald Budget 2024: Did the Government deliver what the country needs? (13:08)

RNZ Taxpayers Union disappointed over Budget

interest.co.nz Nicola Willis delivered on most of her promises but faces extremely tight budgets for years to come

RNZ RNZ News at 7am, May 31 (01:08)

Stuff Tova: Big Budget Special (02:29)

Not PC Budget 2024: The Mother of All Disappointments

NBR Tax cuts, spending cuts but more spending and more borrowing

Kiwiblog Guest Post: Budget 2024 Roundup: What you need to know

The Platform What Does the Budget Mean for Taxpayers?

NewstalkZB Friday Faceoff: Budget Special with former revenue minister Peter Dunne and Infometrics economist Brad Olsen
 (09:30)

The Platform Economist Eric Crampton Breaks Down the 2024 Budget

RNZ Week in Politics: What will the government get out of Budget 2024?

NZ Herald Budget 2024: Snap poll reveals voters’ views on Budget as Parliament rushes through tax cuts bill

NZ Herald Post-Budget snap poll gives Nicola Willis a lukewarm pass - but the cancer drug fail grates - Claire Trevett

The Post The cuts, the cash, the tax splash: What's feeding the budget?

The Post Willis' Budget has seized the financial agenda, but what's the plan?

Budget 2024: The Mother of All Disappointments

Budget 2024: The Mother of All Disappointments

Nicola Willis’s first Budget is the “The Mother of All Disappointments” says the Taxpayers’ Union, failing all three tests the National Party were elected to deliver on:

  • The tax reductions amount to just half the costs to the average worker of 14 years of inflation pushing them into higher marginal tax brackets. Instead of delivering the required $49 per week for the average earner, Willis has delivered just half – at $24.89 for the average worker on $66,196 a year. This amounts to a reversal of just the last three years of fiscal drag. 
  • Reducing the size of Government back to pre-Covid levels after an 84 percent increase in spending and hiring an extra 18,000 bureaucrats. Instead of cutting spending, Budget 2024 spends $13.9 billion more than Grant Robertson’s largess last year. 
  • Nicola Willis has totally failed to balance books with the date for surplus pushed back a year. This is a breach of the first “fiscal principle” listed in National’s pre-election Fiscal Plan. The deficit for the year ahead is even larger than the current year. Instead of stopping the Debt Clock, Nicola Willis is making it tick faster, and for longer.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said:

“The Budget delivered by Nicola Willis today is The Mother of All Disappointments.”

“Each of the three coalition partners were elected to cut wasteful government spending. While there’s a little reprioritisation, this Budget spends more than Grant Robertson ever did. 

“Both Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon have repeatedly made the point that personal income tax brackets have not been adjusted for inflation since 2010. But rather than deliver the $49 a week less tax to put this right, the Government has opted for just half that and unwound just three years’ worth of inflation pushing workers into higher tax brackets. That isn’t tax relief, it’s shortchanging Kiwis who are continuing to do it tough.

“Nicola Willis can only reduce tax by a tiny amount as she won’t take the steps needed to right size the Public Service. Even by 2038, Nicola Willis will have higher Government spending as a share of our economy than Grant Robertson proposed in his 2019 Wellbeing Budget lolly scramble.

“If Nicola Willis is a fiscal conservative, she’s certainly not showing it – in fact, this Budget will be known for effectively ‘locking-in’ the new super-sized state created by Ardern and Robertson.

“All in all, this Budget means New Zealand goes further into the red. Debt servicing costs for the coming year will be $9.2 billion. That’s the same as we are forecast to spend on primary schools, secondary schools, and justice combined. This level of ongoing borrowing simply means we will be paying higher taxes for years to come.”

Budget 2024: $2.6 billion down the drain for no climate benefit

Budget 2024: $2.6 billion down the drain for no climate benefit

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming today’s continuation of a number of Labour’s climate change initiatives as economically and scientifically illiterate.

Taxpayers’ Union Head of Campaigns, Callum Purves, said:

“This Government is supposed to be one that understands the Emissions Trading Scheme. Under the current cap and trade system, any reduction in emissions in one sector will simply free up room under the fixed cap for emissions elsewhere under the ETS’s fixed cap model.

“Simon Watts has swallowed the James Shaw cool-aid and is more focused on looking like he is doing something rather than actually reducing emissions at the lowest possible cost.

“This Government is milking taxpayers with its clean heavy vehicles corporate welfare fund that will see the likes of Fonterra receiving millions for absolutely no environmental gain.

“There is no need for the Government to be involved in EV charging. So long as they remove regulatory barriers, there is plenty of financial incentive for private companies to build and operate EV charging infrastructure. Again, this will have no environmental benefit.

“If Simon Watts doesn’t understand – or, worse, is just ignoring – the basics of the Emissions Trading Scheme, it would be better for both taxpayers and environment for him to be replaced with someone who does."

Budget 2024: Government promises to hike taxes by stealth

Budget 2024: Government promises to hike taxes by stealth

The Taxpayers’ Union is condemning the Government for failing to introduce ongoing annual adjustments to income tax brackets for inflation and calling out the hypocrisy of Nicola Willis using fiscal drag to get back to surplus, after complaining about the same in opposition.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Not only is the Government shortchanging New Zealanders by failing to fully unwind inflation-caused tax hikes since 2010, but the Treasury forecasts show that Ms Willis’ tax take will continue to balloon.

“The impact on the average worker since 2010 is devastating – amounting to an additional $49 a week in tax. Today’s tax reduction is only a partial catch up but without tackling the cause of the problem, Nicola Willis is able to stealthily claw back another $1900 per household by 2028 through fiscal drag.

Budget 2024: National continue to give taxpayer money to corporate welfare bludgers

Budget 2024: National continue to give taxpayer money to corporate welfare bludgers

The Taxpayers’ Union is lashing out at the continuation of the Government’s corporate welfase schemes, labelling them ‘socialism for the rich’.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“The $181.161 million to the Hollywood bigwigs and Peter Jackson’s of the world, along with the continuation of gaming subsidies reeks of economic illiteracy. The Government should be making it easier for all businesses to grow, not hand-picking fashionable special interest groups that can’t stand on their own two feet.

“Taxpayers should not be subsidising Hollywood and video game devs.

“Taking money from successful businesses, spinning it through the bureaucracy and then handing it to other businesses will not create more jobs than it costs – it’s socialism for the rich.

“If politicians were good any good at picking winners, they would never have to worry about fundraising ever again. The fact of the matter is that the Government is putting all of the risk on taxpayers while allowing wealthy corporates to keep the profit."

Budget 2024: Debt interest costs soon to be higher than spending on primary schools, secondary schools and the Ministry of Justice combined

Budget 2024: Debt interest costs soon to be higher than spending on primary schools, secondary schools and the Ministry of Justice combined

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the projected explosion in Government debt over the next 4 years, which will see interest payments amounting to more than $4,622 for every household in the coming  financial year alone.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Government debt ballooned by 161% under Grant Robertson. Forget cutting it back, Nicola Willis is pumping it even higher.

“Treasury forecast interest payments will amount to $9.2 billion ($4,622 per household) in the 2024/25 fiscal year. That’s the same as what the Government will spend on primary schools, secondary schools and the Ministry of Justice combined.

“Today was Nicola Willis’s opportunity to save our kids and grandkids from higher taxes and a sovereign debt recking ball.  Instead, she has continued the legacy of Grant Robertson. That’s now what Kiwis voted for.”

Taxpayer Update: It's budget day tomorrow 🙏

Tomorrow morning, Jordan, Connor and I will be heading into the Budget 2024 "Beehive lock-up" to be briefed on the Budget before it's made public by Nicola Willis at 2pm sharp.

As with every Budget, your humble Taxpayers' Union will be cutting through the political spin and will send you what you need to know – the good, bad, and ugly straight to your inbox shortly after 2 tomorrow.

As expected: Wellington's Eviction Notice causes a stir 🤭

Eviction Notice Advert

Remember the advert that Stuff banned and then unbanned? Our 'Eviction Notice' giving unproductive Wellington bureaucrats their marching orders has certainly got people talking after it appeared in yesterday's NZ Herald

It seemed to have veteran political commentator Audrey Young over at the NZ Herald spitting out her cornflakes. She gave us her 'Brickbat' in her weekly missive under the headline: Why borrowing is a key Budget issue; Taxpayers’ Union falls flat with ad celebrating mass job cuts.

But says who? We agree with Audrey that losing your job is anything but a laugh. But the way Wellington are overreacting to what is small scale correction to the dramatic growth in bureaucrat numbers is not a joke either. We are yet to see any sympathy for the tens of thousands of families who are doing it tough as a result of having to pay for Wellington's 84% increase in spending under the last Government.

We run adverts like this to provoke a little controversy and get people talking about important issues like the explosion in the size of the Public Service – over 18,000 extra bureaucrats since 2017. 

And it worked...

Heather du Plessis-Allan took a potshot at Stuff for initially banning the advert on her Drive show yesterday and read out the full 'Eviction Notice' live on air. Have a listen:

HDPA Stuff Video

Cuts in Context art installation goes viral 📺🚀

Here at the Taxpayers' Union, we are always looking for weird and wonderful ways to get important messages across. I'm told our explainer video new piece of modern art we've gifted to Parliament has gone down well with the kidz on the socials...

The video's already reached more than 80,000 New Zealanders across Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube, in just a day. Watch on YouTube here.

Connor Box Stunt Video

Public Service reductions don't go far enough 👎

Connor's also been busy in the media flying the flag for taxpayers. 

And in a shock to us all, RNZ chose an academic commentator who stood with us on the side of taxpayers! Professor Robert MacCulloch of University of Auckland said that "productivity hasn't increased in the past six years" despite the increase in the number of public servants and more job cuts are needed too. Have a listen.

Connor on RNZ

Tick tock: Debt Clock outside the Beehive ⏰

The Debt Clock was back outside the Beehive yesterday to make sure Ministers preparing for tomorrow's Budget are fully aware of New Zealand's debt problem ticking time bomb.

The Government is borrowing $75 million on our behalf every day and has now racked up over $90,000 in debt for every household across the country. 

Tomorrow we'll find out the latest figures and predictions, and sadly, our ol' mate the Debt Monster will also be on hand to update the invoice for your household's share.

Debt Clock at Parliament

Unfortunately, not everyone has quite grasped the seriousness of this situation. One public servant in particular was not best pleased by our presence and used some particularly colourful language towards our staff. At least we know the communications degrees are paying off!

What to look for tomorrow: Nicola Willis' big tests 🧐

Whether Nicola Willis delivers the goods tomorrow for taxpayers will be based on the three point test summarised in our full page ad in tomorrow’s NZ Herald.

NZ Herald advert

High res version here.

The number is 49 💵

Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon have said several times in recent weeks that personal income tax brackets have not been adjusted for inflation since 2010.

We're all feeling it!

But they haven't been shouting what that actually means in hard cash: If tax brackets had kept pace with inflation, the average income earner today would be paying $49 less in tax each and every week.

Tomorrow, that's the minimum Nicola Willis needs to deliver to the average worker if she is to keep her promise of 'tax relief'. Anything less is just short changing Kiwis.

$49/week

Jordan set out our expectations on the level of tax relief in Stuff's budget preview this morning.

$49 per week would make a huge difference 😮‍💨

Last week, we asked supporters what they'd do with an extra $49 a week and I'm sad to say that many of the responses make for uncomfortable reading. 

A sample:

  • Keeping my heating on for longer
  • Meeting basic costs like rent and insurance
  • Getting fruit, vegetables or meat more regularly
  • Paying for childcare and a bit more support for my grandkids
  • Medical and dental expenses I currently can't afford
  • Saving up for warmer winter clothes

There were almost no extravagant expenses in the nearly 1,000 responses received. The Wellington bubble and some of the media commentariat really have no idea that many people are still really doing it tough. 

We sent a letter to Nicola Willis earlier today with a snapshot of the responses from our survey as a friendly reminder ahead of the tomorrow's Budget.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow. 

Yours aye,

Callum

Callum Signature

Callum Purves
Head of Campaigns
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union 

Donate

Media Mentions:

Newsroom Is that a tax boost in your pocket? (03:15)

Farmers Weekly Feds douse FENZ levy hike idea

RNZ Fast Track bill hits hurdles of public outrage (06:15)

The Post Public service watch: Ministry’s cost saving money shuffle

NZ Herald Nicola Willis’ first Budget will not be judged by tax cuts but by the question of economic credibility – Claire Trevett

The Post Budget week: Will action match the rhetoric?

RNZ Political commentators Brigitte Morten and Gareth Hughes (01:59)

BusinessDesk Exemption for Mfat on budget cuts 'isn't acceptable' – Taxpayers' Union

The Platform Film-makers follow the money on ‘disinformation’ bandwagon

NZ Herald Why borrowing is a key Budget issue; Taxpayers’ Union falls flat with ad celebrating mass job cuts - Audrey Young

RNZ Govt urged to make deeper public service cuts

RNZ Public service cuts: Taxpayers' Union urges government to axe more jobs

NewstalkZB Full Show Podcast: 28 May 2024 – Eviction Notice Advertisement (01:14:56)

The Working Group Nicola Willis, Underfunding Public Services and This Weeks Budget Predictions | GUESTS: Matthew Hooton & Brad Olsen (01:48)

RNZ RNZ News at 10pm, May 28 – ACC Chief Executive Trip (01:58)

Stuff The key questions being asked ahead of Budget day

interest.co.nz Finance Minister Nicola Willis will use Budget 2024 to rein in government spending after the pandemic-era boost

RNZ RNZ News at 7am, May 29 – MPs' Expenses (03:23)

RNZ Taxpayers Union questions MP travel spending

NEW POLL: Just 9% of New Zealanders think Grant Robertson’s Wellbeing Budget didn’t spend enough

A new Taxpayers’ Union – Curia poll has revealed that most New Zealanders think that the level of spending in Grant Robertson’s 2019 Wellbeing Budget was about right or too high. Tomorrow’s budget from Nicola Willis should be compared against this as a pre-Covid baseline.

Voters were asked: “Grant Robertson’s 2019 Wellbeing Budget proposed that government spending should be 29% of GDP – in other words, 29% of New Zealand’s total economy. Do you think this level was too low, about right, or too high.”

34% of respondents said they thought spending was about right, 29% said too high, while just 9% thought it was too low. The remaining 29% were unsure.

The full polling report can be found herewww.taxpayers.org.nz/wellbeingbudgetpoll 

Commenting on the poll, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“After criticising Labour for six years over their big spending budgets, Nicola Willis’s first real opportunity to make her mark as Finance Minister looks set to make Grant Robertson look like a fiscal hawk.

“In the much-hyped Wellbeing Budget of 2019, Grant Robertson set a target of Government spending being 28.8% by 2023. While this obviously shot up during the pandemic, it seems National is happy for this emergency extra spending to become the norm by only seeking to get spending back down to 30%.

“This poll makes it clear that New Zealanders want the size of government to be brought back into line. If Nicola Willis is setting a higher spending target than Grant Robertson, there must be something wrong.”

Taxpayers’ Union lays challenge to Nicola Willis ahead of Budget Day

As the Minister of Finance prepares to deliver her first budget to the nation this Thursday, the Taxpayers’ Union has issued a challenge to Nicola Willis to keep her promise of delivering effective tax relief to New Zealanders.

Attached to a letter to Minister Willis was a collection of responses gathered containing how taxpayers would use an additional $49 each week. Responses included contributions towards; rent and mortgage repayments; swimming lessons for grandchildren; and paying for new reading glasses. Others included keeping up with increasing rates and insurance premiums.

In his letter to the Minister, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, wrote:

“You have made the point several times that personal income tax brackets have not been adjusted for inflation since 2010. In effect, this means the average income earner today is paying $49 more in tax every week, than they would have done had tax brackets kept pace with inflation.  Anything less than $49 per week to the average Kiwi taxpayer, cannot therefore be considered tax relief, but rather a ’tax catch-up.

“In anticipation of Thursday’s budget we asked our supporters what they would do with an $49 extra in their pockets, weekly.  Given the cost of living, the nature of their responses will not surprise you.  They are nevertheless a timely reminder of why it is critical that you deliver on your promise of tax relief.”

Is 40-year-old data is driving key health policy in 2024?

Opinion piece by Jordan Williams

Commentators, the Opposition and media went apoplectic when the new Government repealed Labour’s smoking laws.  Despite being years away from having any effect, these policies, somehow, apparently ‘save thousands.’  The worrying innovation of ‘prophecy-based policymaking’.  

But the same experts who insist upon ‘evidence’ have relied on some of the oldest we’ve seen.  Whether an oversight, or wilful blindness, the much repeated “4,000 to 5,000 who die from smoking every year” seemingly originates from 1981 Census via early to mid-1980s mortality data published in 1988. Policy in 2024 is seemingly driven by data when Sir Robert Muldoon was Prime Minister.

I've always suspected the figure was bogus and self perpetuating. Thanks to the help of an intern and a very good researcher (a retired historian), we've managed to track down, that it's so old, it's laughable (or worse) that it continues to be wheeled out.

ACC Chief Executive must lead from the front with savings

Responding to reports in today’s NZ Herald that ACC chief executive, Megan Main, spent $32,000 of taxpayers’ money on a business class trip to Europe while consulting on nearly 400 job cuts to reduce spending, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“While bureaucrats are losing their jobs, it is tone-deaf for executives to be swanning around the world in business class. ACC’s decision to lavishly spend on business-class flights while proposing significant job cuts reeks of the culture of extravagance that stems from the leadership of taxpayer-funded organisations.

“The Chief Executive must lead from the front and change the culture to one of financial prudence. It is simply not realistic to expect bureaucrats to show respect for taxpayer money when their own boss is jaunting around the world.

“There is no doubt that ACC is overbloated and while the proposed cuts are a good start, ACC must go further including cutting back on frivolous executive spending and some of the more questionable multi-million advertising campaigns.

Public Service cuts must be put in context

Responding to numerous reports in media relating to the number of jobs cuts in the Public Service, the Taxpayers’ Union is encouraging the media to put those cuts in context by referencing the more than 18,000 FTE growth in the bureaucracy since 2017, compared with just 3900 proposed redundancies.

The Taxpayers’ Union has released a video putting these cuts in context, alongside a 4-metre high art installation in the Beehive. That video can be watched here: https://youtu.be/yNrkcwafB7M

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“From 2017 to 2023, the Public Service grew by 18,418 – a 39% increase in just six years.

“But despite the eye-watering growth, core public services have continued to decline. The bloat has seen New Zealanders paying more but getting less.

“The art installation puts Nicola Willis’ proposed cuts in context, highlighting that they are a drop in the ocean compared to the ballooning of the bureaucracy we saw under Grant Robertson. It’s time for Nicola Willis to ignore the crocodile tears of the Unions and opposition parties and go further and faster to cut wasteful spending as promised to voters.”

Taxpayers’ Union launches briefing paper calling for $49 a week tax relief

The Taxpayers’ Union is today releasing its latest briefing paper, entitled $49 Dollars a Week – What Treasury Owes the Average Kiwi.”

This paper explains how much extra income tax a New Zealander on the median salary of $66,196 is paying thanks to bracket creep, compared to when their tax brackets were last adjusted in 2010.

Commenting on the release of this briefing, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“The inflation tax is robbing Kiwis of $49 a week, every single week. No one voted for this, and it’s long past time for the Government put a stop to this backhanded practice.

“Government spending is out of control, and it’s everyday families who get smacked with the bill. People have been paying more and getting less for far too long.

“Nicola Willis promised tax relief in Thursday’s Budget. Anything less than $49 a week is just shortchanging New Zealanders on what they’re owed.”

The first day of the year taxpayers get to work for themselves

Tax Freedom Day will fall at 02:17am Sunday 26th May this year, which means that every cent taxpayers have earnt so far in 2024 has taken by the government in tax. Almost 5 months into the year, Monday 27th May is the first full day where Kiwis get to know that they’re working for themselves and not the government.

Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“When income tax brackets were last adjusted for the vast majority of Kiwis in 2010, Tax Freedom Day would’ve fallen on 18th May. Thanks to bracket creep, Kiwis are now paying with an extra week of their lives every year to prop up a seriously over-bloated bureaucracy.

“Tax Freedom Day keeps slipping back because the average Kiwi is now paying $49 more in income tax than they were when they last had any say in their tax rates. Kiwis need tax relief, but anything less than $49 a week is simply short-changing them.

“Nicola Willis needs to wind the clock back and start moving Tax Freedom Day in the right direction again. It’s time for the Government to get serious about slashing waste to deliver the tax relief promised to New Zealand.”

Taxpayer Talk: Eric Crampton on the growth in Government and Structural Deficit

Eric Crampton

This week on our podcast is a special Budget edition with our friend from the New Zealand Initiative, Eric Crampton.

Eric is the Initiative’s Chief Economist and provides a much welcome voice of reason to counter some the economic illiteracy often espoused by politicians. In this episode, Eric and Jordan discuss what they think the Government should focus on in the budget and what they need to do to wind back the spending that was ratcheted up by Grant Robertson over COVID.

Whether it’s spending, the growth in the number of bureaucrats, or the ‘brutal job cuts’, Eric provides a useful analysis that really puts the union, bureaucracy and opposition fear-mongering into perspective.

To support Taxpayer Talk, click here

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to email [email protected] 

You can also listen to Taxpayer Talk on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsiHeart Radio and all good podcast apps. 

New Wellington billboards throw down $49/week gauntlet for Budget

The Taxpayers’ Union is today launching five billboards around Parliament depicting the Finance Minister riding a piggy bank to emphasise the fact that the average Kiwi needs to see a $49/week tax reduction at next year’s budget in order to reverse 14 years of stealth tax hikes. The billboard text reads, “$49 per week. Anything less isn’t tax relief, it’s shortchanging New Zealanders.”

These billboards are located at five different sites across Wellington’s CBD – Whitmore St, Featherston St, The Terrace, Brandon St, and Wakefield St.

Commenting on the launch of these billboards, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Thanks to the successive Governments’ failure to adjust tax brackets for inflation since 2010, bracket creep has forced Kiwis to pay higher and higher tax rates without them earning more in real terms. For the average worker, this stealth tax hike is an eye-watering $49 each and every week.

“Nicola Willis has been highly critical of this stealth tax, but, as these billboards point out, anything less than $49 a week for the average Kiwi at this year’s Budget will only partially wind back the effects of the last 14 years worth of inflation.

“Our billboards throw down the gauntlet for the Finance Minister to deliver real tax relief for working New Zealanders. Naysayers argue we can’t afford tax relief – that’s bulldust. Since 2017, government spending has increased by 84% and the bureaucracy has grown by more than 18,000 people. The government is spoilt for choice when it comes to potential savings."

An image of the Whitmore St billboard can be found here.

An image of the Brandon St billboard can be found here.

A digital copy of all five design variations can be found here.

REVEALED: Taxpayers fork out $870,000 a year for MBIE staff to do union roles

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that taxpayers are forking out at least $871,484 each year for MBIE staff to do union work on taxpayer time.

The secretive arrangement - the creation of which MBIE did not have any correspondence with Ministers - includes two full-time roles paid at least $101,911 each and 125 other roles where employees are able to take between 8 and 64 hours a month off work for union activities.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“This is nothing short of a scandal where taxpayers are being forced to fund the operations, and growth, of one of the country’s most powerful lobby groups that regularly engages in overtly political campaigning.

“If the Government was found to be giving paid government positions to groups pushing for smaller government and less wasteful spending the unions and opposition parties would rightly be in uproar. Taxpayers should not be paying for the government to lobby itself.

“If a PSA union membership offers worthwhile benefits to its members, they should have no issue with funding their operations solely from membership dues – instead taxpayers are being forced to pick up the tab to fund the union’s dirty work.

“The fact this agreement was not even briefed to either the previous Labour or current government shows a shocking attitude by MBIE. Taxpayers shouldn’t be paying anything to unions, and the government must urgently step in to put an end to this rort which is happening in countless other departments too.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:
A copy of the OIA response from MBIE can be found here. 

A copy of the MBIE PSA NATIONAL CO-CONVENOR job description can be found here.

A copy of the spreadsheet used to calculate the costs can be downloaded here. 

Nicola Willis must tackle cost of living at next week’s Budget

Commenting on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand holding the Official Cash Rate (OCR) at 5.5%, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Sky-high interest rates and the soaring price of household essentials continue to punish Kiwi families, and that won’t change until reckless and inflationary government waste is brought to heel.

“35 months and counting of inflation outside the target range keeps eating away at what’s left of Kiwis’ purchasing power, after 14 years of bracket creep has already left them paying $49 a week more in income tax than they were in 2010.

“Treasury’s recent revelations that New Zealand has a structural deficit prove the government can’t keep borrowing to pay for more waste. The last Finance Minister might’ve been happy to look the other way, but struggling Kiwi families need Nicola Willis to get the books back in the black.”

Labour must walk the talk and join the campaign against corporate welfare

Reacting to today’s Budget Speech from Labour’s Finance spokesperson, Barbara Edmonds, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“It is encouraging to see that one of Labour’s stated priorities is to focus on creating ‘a level playing field for small and medium businesses, not preferential treatment for those businesses with the flashest lobbyists’, but this must be matched by action.

“Under the previous Labour Government, hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars were awarded in corporate welfare to the gaming and film sectors, strongly represented by ‘flashy lobbyists’, along with handouts to other large companies like Fonterra, NZ Steel and Z energy. Unfortunately the new Government has decided to continue a large chunk of this. 

“Soundbites are all well and good but unless Labour u-turn on the special and distortionary treatment they championed in government they mean nothing. We will happily assist any Labour MP in drafting a Member’s bill to bring an end to corporate welfare.”

NEW POLL: Overwhelming majority of New Zealanders think debt is too high

A new Taxpayers’ Union – Curia poll has revealed that a large majority of New Zealanders think government debt is too high.

Voters were asked: “In June 2017, New Zealand’s Net Core Crown Debt was $59 billion. Between then and June 2023, while the cumulative inflation was 25%, Net Core Crown Debt increased by 161% to $155 billion. Do you think that the level of New Zealand government debt is too low, about right, or too high.”

64% of respondents thought that government debt was too high, 19% thought it was about right while just 3% thought it was too low. The remaining 14% of respondents were unsure.
 
The full polling report can be found here.
 
Commenting on the poll, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“By 2028, we will be spending more than $6,000 per household on Government debt interest costs alone. That’s more than we currently spend on early childhood education, and primary and secondary schools combined.

“The results of this poll show that New Zealanders realise this debt is completely unsustainable and that the billions of dollars poured down the drain in interest payments is money that can’t be spent on providing core frontline services or delivering well-overdue tax relief.

“The only real tax cut is a spending cut and anything else is simply pushing higher taxes into the future. Nicola Willis needs to take tougher action to get the Government books back into the black faster and to start paying down the debt as soon as possible.

MEDIA SUMMARY STATEMENT:

Any media or other organisation that reports on this poll should include the following summary statement:

The poll was conducted by Curia Market Research Ltd for the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. It is a random poll of 1,000 adult New Zealanders and is weighted to the overall adult population. It was conducted by phone (landlines and mobile) and online between the 05 May and 07 May 2024, has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1% and 4.2% were undecided on the party vote question. The full results are at: www.taxpayers.org.nz/debtpoll   

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The scientific poll was conducted by Curia Market Research and commissioned by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. As is well known, but for full disclosure, David Farrar co-founded the Taxpayers' Union and previously served on its board. He is also a Director of Curia Market Research Ltd.
 
This Taxpayers’ Union – Curia issue poll was conducted from Sunday 05 May to Tuesday 07 May 2024. The median response was collected on Monday 07 May 2024. The sample size was 1,000 eligible New Zealand voters: 800 by phone and 200 by online panel. The sample selection for the phone panel is from those who are contactable on a landline or mobile phone selected at random from 15,000 nationwide phone numbers plus a random selection from an online panel (that complies with ESOMAR guidelines for online research). The results are weighted to reflect the overall voting adult population in terms of gender, age, and area. Based on this sample of 1,000 respondents, the maximum sampling error (for a result of 50%) is +/- 3.1%, at the 95% confidence level. Results for sub-groups such as age and area will have a much higher margin of error and not seen as precise.

Wake up call: Government debt hits $90,000 per household today – “$90k Debt Day”

Based on the latest Treasury forecasts, New Zealand Government debt will tick above $90,000 per household for the first time ever at 10pm today, Sunday 19 May 2024. The Taxpayers’ Union is calling it “$90k Debt Day”.

Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“For the first time ever, the New Zealand Government Debt Clock will pass $90,000 per household. Our kids and grandkids will spend their lives paying this off, and it means less money for core services like health, policing and education.

“This means the average household is now having to stump up about $4,500 a year just paying the interest on the debt. That’s more than the cost of the defence force, police, corrections and customs combined.

“And it’s nowhere near stopping. Right now, Nicola Willis is borrowing $75 million a day to keep an over-bloated Government afloat. Her so-called ‘cuts’ barely scratch the surface of what is needed to get the books back into black.

“Kiwis can only bend so far before they break. Struggling families need Nicola Willis to take an axe to wasteful spending and deliver serious savings in the Budget on 30 May."

If the Wellington Mayor’s not going to bother turning up anyway, sell the airport shares

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has been revealed to have missed half of all Wellington Airport board meetings in the past year. Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Given the local government crisis Wellington finds itself in, the very least the Mayor should be doing is showing up for the jobs ratepayers pay her to do.

“It’s far from the first time the Mayor has been called out for her absenteeism, and no doubt it won’t be the last.

“Wellington City Council is currently looking at selling the airport shares. The Mayor not bothering to turn up to board meetings is all the proof needed to show the airport will run just fine without them.”

NEW POLL: Luxon wants tax bracket indexation, so do Kiwis

Following comments from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in yesterday’s pre-budget speech that not adjusting tax brackets for inflation each year is “lazy”, the Taxpayers’ Union is releasing a new poll that reveals that the vast majority of New Zealanders support automatic inflation adjustment of income tax brackets. 74% of respondents supported inflation adjustments while just 10% were opposed. The remainder were unsure.

Speaking yesterday, Christopher Luxon said, “if you think about it, many countries just index their tax thresholds to inflation each and every year. And the problem when you don’t do that is what we’ve seen in the last six years is inflation actually helps the government books because it ends up actually being quite lazy and actually government can leverage inflation in a very unhelpful and in a bad way, which is what’s happened.”

Voters were asked in the poll: “As welfare benefits automatically increase with inflation, would you support or oppose a law so that income tax thresholds also adjust for inflation, so that someone whose income increases in line with inflation doesn’t end up paying proportionally more income tax than previously?”

The full polling report can be found here.

Reacting to the Prime Minister’s comments and the poll, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy said:

“The Prime Minister thinks income tax brackets should be inflation adjusted, as do an overwhelming majority of New Zealanders. Then why is he refusing to commit to it at this years’ budget?

“Since 2010, politicians have knowingly allowed stealth tax hikes by refusing to address the issue of inflation dragging workers into higher and higher tax brackets, even when their purchasing power remains the same.

“The impact of this stealth tax is so significant that it means the average worker is paying an additional $49 per week in income tax compared with someone on the same real income when tax brackets were last adjusted in 2010.

“That is money that can’t be spent on filling up the car, buying groceries or paying for kids’ swimming lessons. This is the real human impact of parties championing inflation adjustments of tax brackets in opposition then failing to act in Government.

“Stealth tax hikes are a political choice. Come Budget Day, Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon need to commit to ongoing annual inflation adjustments. Any tax relief without such a commitment will only be eroded away in a matter of years.”

Anything less than $49/week isn’t tax relief, it’s shortchanging New Zealanders

Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s pre-budget speech today, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Christopher Luxon is right to point out that inflation over the last 14 has pushed New Zealanders into higher income tax brackets so that they are paying more of their wages in tax even when they are not better off.

“Successive governments’ failure to ensure tax brackets keep pace with inflation means that workers earning an average income of $66,196 are paying $49 more in tax each and every week than they would have done had income tax brackets been adjusted annually.

“Anything up to $49 a week for the average worker isn’t really tax relief, it’s shortchanging New Zealanders by only partially winding back the effects of 14 years of inflation on tax rates. If the Government is serious about delivering tax relief, it needs to go further.”

Taxpayers’ Union warns against Digital Services Tax

Responding to the Government’s plans to implement Labour’s proposed Digital Services Tax (DST), Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, warns against the move:

“The Government should be cutting wasteful spending, not introducing new taxes that will see New Zealand businesses slapped with devastating retaliatory tariffs as seen in France.

“Introducing this new tax undermines New Zealand’s moral authority to argue against retaliatory protectionist measures from our trading partners with policies that, while neutral on paper, would go against the spirit of free trade through a structure that largely targets foreign firms.

“The proposals also risk raising prices for New Zealand consumers of digital services or seeing a reduction in the quality or quantity of services available as overseas companies direct their efforts elsewhere.

“With the economic costs of retaliatory tariffs likely to be higher than any increase in tax revenue, the government would be actively making New Zealanders poorer for very little gain.

"Revenue Minister Simon must send this proposal to the scrap heap and instead focus his efforts on cutting wasteful spending – especially in his Climate Change portfolio where it is so prevalent.”

Comical incompetence as Wellington Council might have to dig up brand new $55 million bus lanes and cycleways

A memo accidentally released by Wellington City Council shows at least $5.2 million of pipes needing urgent repair have just been covered up by $55 million of brand new bus and cycle lanes on Thorndon Quay.

Responding to this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Residents and businesses said they didn’t want their money wasted on months of work to install these vanity projects. Now, they might have to go through it all again.

“To anyone not employed by a local council, it’s clearly common sense that if pipes need repairing and you’re digging up the road anyway, they should be replaced before plonking $55 million worth of shiny new infrastructure on top.

“If any Wellington residents are wondering why their rates bill is about to triple, look no further than the comical levels of incompetence at Wellington City Council.” 

Luxon must rule out taxpayer funding for “fatally compromised” Christchurch Call

Responding to the official launch of the Christchurch Call Foundation, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Only last month, the Christchurch Call Advisory Network was slammed for pressuring advisors to stifle reports which were critical of signatory governments. Leading experts called its independence “fatally compromised.”

“Internet Governance Project founder Milton Mueller asked “is the Christchurch Call accomplishing anything?” Increasingly it seems the only thing it hopes to achieve is killing off free expression.

“A mealy-mouthed Government media release says direct taxpayer funding of the Call is being replaced by a new Christchurch Call Foundation. The Call shouldn’t get another cent from Kiwi taxpayers until it’s got its act together, and Luxon must rule out taxpayer funding for this new middle man.”

Wellington residents’ views being misrepresented in Long-Term Plan consultation

Responding to allegations that the Wellington Long-Term Plan consultation has been falsely marking submitters as supporting certain projects, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“True to form, Wellington City Council’s consultation has been a flop. If they’ve been recording residents’ answers incorrectly, then the only option is to go back to the drawing board and start public consultations again from scratch.

“The consultation was also clearly designed to lead residents down the garden path. The boilerplate options on the form meant officials could artificially bolster support for certain projects by hiding them in the detail of more prominent ones.

“When the Council screwed the scrum in the same way with the annual plan last year, Councillor Ray Chung was threatened with being banned from voting for trying to help residents get their own views across. This is just what Wellington City Council does.”

NEW POLL: Labour up, Greens down but Centre-Right remains ahead

National is up slightly on last month to 37.3% (+0.2 points) while Labour is up to 30.0% (+4.3 points). The Greens maintain third place with 10.2% (-4.4 points) while ACT gain 2.2 points bringing them to 9.4%

The smaller parties are NZ First on 5.5% (-0.8 points) and Te Pāti Māori on 3.1% (-1.5 points). 

For the minor parties, TOP is on 1.4%, Outdoors and Freedom is on 1.1%, and the others combined were on 2%

This month's results are compared to last month's Taxpayers' Union – Curia poll.

National maintains its 47 seats in Parliament, while Labour is up five seats to 37. The Greens drop back to 13 seats (down five), while ACT rises to 12 seats (up three). NZ First is down one seat to 7 while Te Pāti Māori is unchanged on 6 seats. 

The combined projected seats for the Centre-Right of 66 seats is up 2 from last month while the Centre-Left is steady on 56 seats. 

On these numbers, National and ACT would require the support of NZ First to form a government. Due to the drop in Te Pāti Māori's support, a Parliament on these figures would have 2 overhang seats.

45.1% (+6.2 points) of New Zealanders think the country is heading in the right direction while 42.6% (-5.3 points) say the wrong direction for a net country direction of +2.5% (up 11.5 points)

This is the first time since February that voters have had a net positive view of the country direction.

More detailed results, including favourability rankings and the major voting issues, are available on our website.

Taxpayer Update: NEW POLL 📊 | Donating your money to my charity 🤨 | Disability CEO "knows best" on use of Te Reo 👀

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Happy Friday,

NEW POLL: Labour up, Greens down but centre-right remains ahead 🔢

Quick, WhatsApp Maiki Sherman! It's 'panic stations'! Mayday, mayday, mayday! Abandon ship, in this month's Taxpayers' Union – Curia poll.

Whoops, wrong script. Unlike 1News, your humble Taxpayers' Union trusts readers to judge for themselves and will leave the biased sensationalist propaganda to the state-owned news network.

This month's Taxpayers' Union – Curia poll sees a small increase in support for the Government, with Labour getting a much larger boost in support but at the expense of the Greens.

Decided Party Vote over time

Compared with last month's poll, National is virtually unchanged on 37.3 percent (+0.2 points). Labour is up 4.3 points to 30.0 percent while the Greens are down by roughly the same amount to 10.2 percent (-4.4 points) just ahead of ACT who are up 2.2 points to 9.4 percent. NZ First is down 0.8 points to 5.5 percent while Te Pāti Māori is down 1.5 points to 3.0 percent. 

Here's how these results would translate to seats in Parliament:

Seats

National is steady on 47 while Labour picks up five seats to bring them to 37. The Greens drop back to 13 seats (down five) while ACT is up to 12 seats (up three). NZ First is down one seat to 7 while Te Pāti Māori is unchanged on six seats.

The combined projected seats for the centre-right is 66, up two from last month, while the combined seats for the centre-left is unchanged on 56. On these numbers, National and ACT would require the support of NZ First to form a government. This assumes that all electorate seats are held. Parliament would have an overhang of two seats. 

For favourability ratings, major voting issues, and country direction, and to find out how to get access to our full polling reports, head over to our website.

Voters won't stay happy if the Budget disappoints 🤞

Budget 2024

While our poll shows that voters still have confidence in this government at the moment, its next big test will come on Budget Day in less than three weeks.

Nicola Willis confirmed yesterday that the Government had met its very unambitious savings target. If they hadn't, they might as well have packed up and gone home.

But as ministers take a tiny pair of scissors to trim the edges of Labour's Public Sector growth, the problem continues to get worse.

Treasury's latest monthly statements show the Government has already racked up a deficit of over $5 billion in the first 9 months of the financial year alone – that's $619 million higher than what was projected in the December forecast!

And Nicola Willis knows how deep we're in it. She summed up New Zealand's structural deficit problem in her Budget Policy Statement:

"The structural increase in spending means that the Government would be in deficit – and would need to borrow to cover this deficit – even if the economy was operating at full capacity. This is not sustainable."

No kidding, Nicola! And on 30 May, we'll see whether she's willing to do something about it or continue the 'gently, gently' approach the purple-haired bureaucrats are pushing for. 👀

Even for the worst offenders – like departments that have more than tripled their payroll since 2017 – Nicola Willis' 7.5 percent spending reduction and a slap on the wrist is about as far as National seems willing to go.

When there has been an 84 percent increase in public spending in just six years. Trims and tucks are not enough to avoid the fiscal cliff. 

Let's hope the reports in today's media that the Cabinet is sleepwalking towards locking-in Labour's wasteful spending habits and comments about previous measures to beat long-term structural deficits as 'mistakes of history' are wrong.

20 sleeps until the Budget.

'Charitable donations' are nothing but a cop out 🤮

Spending your money

Last week we called out the Remuneration Authority's decision to award MPs a 10.5 percent pay rise over the course of this Parliament. 

Some MPs like Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis have said they don't need or want the rise and will instead give their salary increases to charity. Nice lines for the media, but it's a bit of a cop out.

It misses the point: We shouldn't be borrowing to pay MPs more for them to give to their choice of charity. What they are saying, in effect, is that they know how to spend your money better than you do!

Some MPs have given the "excuse" that there is no mechanism for them to refuse a pay rise. 🤦‍♂️

That's nonsense on stilts. If telling Parliament's payroll department not to pay them the extra amount is too hard, just set up an AP back to Treasury. Here are the details:

Payee: Treasury Crown Receipts Account
Bank Account Number:
03-0049-0000327-25
Bank: Westpac
Reference: MP Salary Donation

Or for those MPs who find internet banking all a bit too confusing, here's a deposit slip.

You're welcome. 😊

A tone-deaf $57,000 office makeover is an own-goal for PM ⚽️

Here at the Taxpayers' Union, we want to see Christopher Luxon do well and succeed in getting the country 'back on track' after the misadventures of the last government. But some friendly advice to Mr Luxon's office: stop cashing in on his parliamentary 'entitlements' and walk the talk about the need to cut costs.

First there was the initial defence of the $50k housing allowance, the failure to act on MPs' pay (even Ardern took action in her day!), and now another own-goal with news that  $57,000 was spent on fitting out the PM's office with new video equipment and furniture.

No wonder the Opposition is saying it's a case of "savings for thee but not for me".

Luxon's office needs to start nipping these stories in the bud before they get out of hand. If Ministers want public departments to engage in fiscal discipline, the PM and Ministers need to be willing to do the same.

But it's not just central government wasting money...

District Council goes mad! Whanganui ratepayers fund hotel + solving Gaza 🏨🇵🇸

While Whanganui ratepayers are looking down the barrel of a 10.6 percent rates hike, the Whanganui District Council is looking to pour $55 million into a ratepayer-funded luxury hotel. 

Mayor in luxury hotel

The Mayor claims there’s a "strong business case" for the hotel. Weird then that no private developer (or hotel chain) are lining up to build one without ratepayers carrying the can.

"Mayor Andrew Tripe says current tough times should not preclude council from having bold aspirations"

That's not quite the description most would use...

Forget upgrading core infrastructure or cutting back on wasteful spending to preserve public services (the Mayor is planning to cut those as part of its proposed budget), next on the agenda was a motion to [checks notes] demand a ceasefire in Gaza! 

Who wants to be the person to tell Winston Peters that Whanganui District Council has taken over New Zealand's international affairs? 😳

Ratepayers don't expect their council to create world peace, they just want them to listen when they're told not to waste time and money. This is why we need the Government to reform local government and force councils to get back in the box: core services, value for money, and no mission creep. 

Disability CEO gives middle finger to Cabinet directive on use of English language 👀

The Ministry for Disabled People, which didn't even exist until two years ago, is apparently so attached to its current name 'Whaikaha' that it is now pushing back against outright refusing the Cabinet's instruction to change the name so that it reads English first.

Worst of all, this little tantrum is being led from the top.

Chief Executive, Paula Tesoriero, sent an email to staff encouraging them to actively disobey the Government's orders to put the English name first:

“Please continue to use our full name when referring to us, Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People, and of course where possible, include the QR code for our NZSL name.'

Bureaucrats not listening

Whatever your view on the use of Māori names for public agencies, it highlights a much wider problem in Wellington. Gone are the days when public servants humbly implemented government policies and the will of the people (expressed through the ballot box). Political neutrality and service is out of fashion.

This sort of childish behaviour is what the new Government is up against. Ministers still haven't given themselves the legal ability to sack departmental CEOs (accountability lines are as complex as spaghetti and is all done through the Public Service Commission).

Until the law is changed, sending a clear message to the whole Wellington Bubble (shape up, or ship out) will be very hard indeed.

Taxpayer Talk – MPs in Depth with Tom Rutherford

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Connor sat down with newly elected National MP, Tom Rutherford.

Tom was elected as the MP for the Bay of Plenty at the 2023 General Election. Prior to entering Parliament, Tom had worked for the National Party, in local government and also had volunteered as a firefighter in his local community. Tom is also a keen cricketer, rugby referee and hockey umpire. As one of Parliament's youngest MPs, Tom is open about the fact he has had less of a career before politics than others but is clearly very passionate about doing the best for New Zealand and the Bay of Plenty.

Listen to the episode on our website | Apple Podcasts, | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

That's it for this week,

Yours aye,

Callum

Callum Signature

Callum Purves
Head of Campaigns
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union 

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RNZ Solving the World's Problems with Dave Armstrong (03:10) 

NZ Herald Labour needs a bolder leader than Chris Hipkins – Matthew Hooton

MPs in Depth: Tom Rutherford

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Connor sat down with National Party MP, Tom Rutherford. 

Tom was elected as the MP for the Bay of Plenty at the 2023 General Election. Prior to entering Parliament, Tom had worked for the National Party, in local government and also had volunteered as a firefighter in his local community. Tom is also a keen cricketer, rugby referee and hockey umpire. As one of Parliament's youngest MPs, Tom is open about the fact he has had less of a career before politics than others but is clearly very passionate about doing the best for New Zealand and the Bay of Plenty.

Tom's maiden speech can be watched here. Follow Tom on Facebook here.

To support Taxpayer Talk, click here

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to email [email protected] 

You can also listen to Taxpayer Talk on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsiHeart Radio and all good podcast apps. 

Local council distracted by international politics

In response to calls made on Wednesday by Whanganui District Council for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesperson, Sam Warren, said:

“Locals are facing 10.6% rate hikes during a cost-of-living crisis. After receiving a record number of public submissions for its Long-Term Plan, Whanganui Council’s focus should be on keeping rates down – not on international politics.

“This comes only days after announcing their intentions of building a $55 million four-star hotel, completely out of its purview as a local district council and passing the cost onto ratepayers.

“Clearly, there is an issue of being distracted. Whanganui residents would agree it’s time for Council to get back to basics and stay in its own lane.”

Covid inquiry chair needs to jump or be pushed over conflicts of interest

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Brooke van Velden to replace epidemiologist Tony Blakey as Chair of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry after the extraordinary revelations in today’s NZ Herald suggesting several strong conflicts of interest.

Commenting, Taxpayers’ Union Head of Campaigns, Callum Purves, said:

“New Zealanders need to have confidence that the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry will examine the Government’s response to the once-in-a-generation pandemic without fear or favour. Its members – and especially its chair – need to have independence from how those decisions were made so they can objectively assess what worked well and what might have been done differently.

“The revelations today make it clear that Tony Blakey was not just an active participant in New Zealand’s Covid-19 response by providing direct advice to key policymakers and advisers but also that he had close relationships and friendships with many of the key policy players. It is simply not credible to suggest that this will not affect his judgement when considering matters as part of the Inquiry. Even if he feels he is able to manage any conflicts, the perception alone will undermine the work of the Commission.

“Mr Blakley should do the honourable thing and step down. If he refuses, Brooke van Velden should replace him. Given New Zealand is a small country and many of those who might be well suited to the role may also be conflicted, the Minister could consider appointing someone from another country to ensure impartiality and restore public confidence in the Inquiry.”

Government still a long way off $49 a week tax relief

Reacting to Nicola Willis’ speech to the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce this morning, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Nicola Willis rightly recognises that ‘[w]orkers have endured 14 years without any adjustment to tax brackets’. She must now unwind those stealth tax hikes by providing $49 a week in tax relief to the average earner.

“Anything less than $49 a week is simply a partial reset, keeping taxes much higher than they were 14 years ago while the Government pockets the rest. That is unacceptable.

“Kiwis are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, fuelled by wasteful and reckless government spending. Now is exactly the time to slash the waste and deliver tax relief to working New Zealanders.”

Gas tank heritage listing decision nothing but hot air

Responding to news that Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop has rejected Wellington City Council’s calls to remove ten buildings from the Heritage List, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Wellington ratepayers are drowning in the cost of propping up buildings like the Town Hall, which on its own is costing every household up to $4,000. When by some miracle Wellington Council agreed to de-list something, we shouldn’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth.

“It’s clear to anyone with access to Google images that some rust-bucket gas tank has no heritage value whatsoever. No-one but a tiny handful of fringe activists wants these buildings to be listed.

"Tying the city up in red tape does nothing except stunt growth and drive up house prices. It’s residents who end up on the hook for the cost of preserving them, so councils need the ability to de-list them without having to wade through endless central government bureaucracy."

Chief Electoral Officer needs to fall on his sword

Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Even after taking weeks to count the vote, the best the Electoral Commission could manage was rushing an error-filled attempt at a final check hours before the result was announced.

“Official checks being little more than sticking a finger in the air and hoping for the best meant hundreds of votes were either lost, left out or double-counted. 

“Democracy can’t be allowed to become a fudge-job. If Electoral Commission Chief Exec Karl Le Quesne can’t do his job, then he needs to find a new one.”

Beehive need to lead by example

The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, says:

“This is a bad look for the Government, and an own goal.

“This spending, on top of the Prime Minister’s failure to prevent unjustified pay hikes for MPs - while the average household’s real income is going backwards - is hypocritical.”

Double-dipping MP needs to pay salary back to Council

Responding to an announcement by Jamie Arbuckle MP that he intends to resign as a Marlborough Councillor in October this year, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross:

“Jamie Arbuckle claims that he’s hanging around as a Councillor until October to avoid the cost of a by-election, but that concern for ratepayers is clearly only skin-deep.

“When Mr Arbuckle says he’ll give his Council salary to charity, what he’s actually saying is he thinks he knows how to spend ratepayers’ money better than they do.

“Rather than picking projects he likes, Jamie Arbuckle needs to pay the salary he never should have been claiming in the first place back to the Council.”

Double-dipping MP Jamie Arbuckle taking ratepayers for a ride

NZ First MP Jamie Arbuckle should do the honourable thing and either resign his seat as a Marlborough councillor, or stop ‘double dipping’ in taking two salaries to be an elected representative. 

Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said; 

“Being an MP is more than a full-time job. That’s why councillors nearly always stand down when they stand for Parliament. 

“Having two jobs is one thing, but who does this MP think he is pocketing both salaries at the same time while the families who pay his wages are struggling through a cost-of-living crisis?

“MPs are paid handsomely to represent their community. Getting another job to do the same thing and taking both sets of cash is exactly the sort of double-dip rort Winston Peters would normally call out.” 

Auckland’s Watercare plan avoids pitfalls of Three Waters

The Taxpayers’ Union welcomes the Government’s changes to Watercare, as part of the Government’s replacement to the so-called “Three Waters”.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Jordan Williams said:

“The devil may be in the detail, but the Government’s announcement is consistent with our proposed replacement to Three Waters. It keeps ratepayer ownership and ultimate control under local democratically elected representatives, plus avoids unnecessary bureaucracy.

“Balance sheet separation is necessary in Auckland because the Council has borrowed up to the eyeballs, meaning Watercare didn’t have capacity to borrow for long-term infrastructure investment. These changes will protect Auckland ratepayers from having to pay upfront for long term infrastructure Auckland needs.

“Watercare is the odd one out, as balance sheet separation isn’t required for the the rest of New Zealand – despite what the last Government said. Nevertheless, if this is the model in terms of electricity lines-style regulatory oversight for other regions, ratepayers can breathe a sigh of relief.”

Taxpayer Update: Time to get rid of TVNZ 📺💰 | Hipkins caught telling porkies 🤥🐷

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Happy Friday,

Lots to cover this week so let's get straight into it...

1News isn't even pretending to be impartial anymore

1News political editor, Maiki Sherman, could barely hold back her excitement on Monday night when she announced the results of the latest 1News Verian poll, which showed the centre-right dropping a few points in support and handing Te Pāti Māori the balance of power. 


According to Sherman, ACT's score of 7% (down just 1.6 points since the election) somehow meant the party's support was in "free fall" and, with New Zealand First polling less than 5% (the threshold to get into Parliament), the poll result "could be mayday for the coalition".

Can someone please tell Maiki the next election is two-and-a-half years away? 🤣

She also described the Government's savings as "austerity in absolute overdrive". She needs to get a grip. The measures the Government has taken to stem out of control spending don't even wind back the increases to the levels they were in June last year! Is Maiki really so out of touch with the reality of the Government's books, or did Grant Robertson hack her tele prompter?

When a lobby group presents polling with less spin than the state-owned media company, maybe there's a problem...

We know a little bit about the presentation of polling. After all, our monthly Taxpayers' Union – Curia poll is both more regular and was more accurate in predicting the last election result than TVNZ's effort. As we say in our office, "a poll is a poll" – it speaks for itself. Our poll results regularly upset National, and Labour (as you'd expect). You don't need to gleefully add commentary which undermines the very objectivity that a professional/scientific third-party poll is supposed to be all about.

It should (but probably doesn't) concern TVNZ's board, that the Taxpayers' Union reports its poll with less sensationalism than our impartial state broadcaster.

A bad habit of dodgy poll reporting

But as "the best pollster in New Zealand" (as described by Sir John Key), David Farrar, pointed out, Maiki Sherman's gleefulness wasn't an isolated incident. TVNZ's news outfit also put out two other polls this week with the same slanted framing.

On Tuesday, TVNZ reported under the headline: A "slim majority agree with public sector cuts". Here's the tweet of the same story:

TVNZ Tweeting Flake News

Bzzzzzt. Wrong. 

According to the poll, 52% of people said the public sector cuts were "about right" or "didn't go far enough", as opposed to just 35% who thought it went "too far".  Slim, apparently...

Even former Labour MP Stuart Nash has labelled the recent reporting "absolutely shocking".

Doubling down on the trend, on Wednesday, TVNZ did even better, releasing a third poll, this time on support for the Fast–Track Approvals Bill. The poll found a statistically even split of 40% of voters in favour, and 41% against.

But you wouldn't have known that from the headline which, (colour me surprised) made out that most people didn't support the bill: claiming Just 40% support, and combining the 'don't knows' with the actual 'noes'! 🤦‍♂️

1News Tweet

Maiki's gleeful reporting on Monday night was bad enough, but the persistency of anti-government framing suggests that TVNZ's newsroom has lost its way, and is either ignorant, or ignoring, the tradition of state-owned media avoiding 'taking a side'.

What's the point in owning TVNZ anyway?

TVNZ is up front that it doesn’t do a public broadcaster-style “strictly news” approach, nor does it even ensure its John Campbell-type highly paid “opinion” contributors are balanced with even just a single conservative. Its only hard news shows (Sunday and Fair Go) are being axed, and Breakfast and Seven Sharp are so journalistically shallow that companies and causes can pay to be in them!

Now, even 1News political polls aren't being presented without an agenda.

So the obvious question is, why should TVNZ remain owned by taxpayers?

TVNZ doesn't want to be public broadcaster any more: Sign the petition to sell it

Proponents of state media say that it is important in a democracy to have impartial sources of news, but TVNZ and 1News have given up all pretence of being impartial. 

We say that they can't have it both ways. Either they are a commercial player (and should be covering their cost of capital and paying a dividend back to taxpayers) or they are an impartial public service news service. Right now, they are a subsidised propaganda outlet.

The Government has a debt problem. If we're lucky, TVNZ might still be worth something. Selling off TVNZ now could be a 'two birds, one stone' solution..

A private TVNZ would likely be more balanced and diverse than what it offers currently. It would be more incentivised to cater to an audience underserved by the current selection of media.

It's time the Government took action and sold off TVNZ while it's still worth something.

If TVNZ is sold off and left to sink or swim on entirely the merits of its programming, then it would be forced to try harder harder to build trust with Kiwis. If you agree, sign the petition to sell TVNZ.

>>> Sign the petition ✍️ <<<

Slew of secret judges' perks finally exposed 👨‍⚖️ 

For years we've been trying to get the secret list of judges' perks from the Ministry of Justice, which have – until now – effectively been a state secret. Props to Andrea Vance and the Sunday Star Times for their dogged determination in pursuing this that has finally resulted in a breakthrough.

And no wonder the judiciary wanted to keep their entitlements behind bars. It's nothing short of a courtroom rort.

Here's a breakdown of just some of the many perks judges receive (they're not all public, yet...):

🤑 5,360 km per year for each judge (and a plus one!) on any non-work-related plane rides.

🤑 Free limo rides to and from court outside normal working hours “when transport by taxi or other means is difficult or inconvenient”.

🤑 A $20,000 housing allowance for judges who regularly sit in Wellington but live outside the capital.

🤑 $500 towards a new pen and briefcase.

🤑 One year's sabbatical for each 10 years of service.

🤑 On retirement, a month's paid leave for every year of service (discounting the sabbatical).

In what other job does your employer pay for you to swan around the country with virtually unlimited plane rides for you and your partner!?

We say Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann needs to front up and explain why these allowances are necessary, particularly when many Kiwis can barely afford their weekly groceries, let alone the luxuries that are being provided to those already on half-a-million a year salaries.

New Zealanders slammed with third-highest tax hike in the OECD 🔝

According to new figures from the OECDthe average single income earner in New Zealand saw their effective tax rate increase by 4.5% from 2022 to 2023 – more than almost every other country in the developed world.

While politicians didn't announce income tax hikes, thanks to inflation, it's happened anyway. It's called 'fiscal drag' or 'bracket creep'.

Thanks to high inflation, earners have been bumped up into higher tax brackets and are paying a bigger share of their wages in taxes despite being no better off. 

To put this in perspective: a minimum wage worker doing 40 hours is now paying the third (30 cents on the dollar) marginal tax rate!

But one-off tax relief is only a temporary fix. Unless tax brackets are automatically adjusted for inflation each year, tax relief is only a partial return of stolen income, attached to a promise to keep on stealing. 

A Kiwi on the average income of $66,196 is paying $2,556 more in tax each year because of successive Governments' failure to adjust income tax brackets for inflation since they were last reset in 2010.

We look forward to Nicola Willis sorting this out on 30 May when she delivers her first budget. 😉🙏💰

Seeing straight through the Window & Glass Association's patch-protection 🪟

Here at the Taxpayers' Union, as a group on the side of taxpayers and consumers, we take pride in calling out the hundreds of special interest lobbies, even if they're on the side of "business".

This week, the Window and Glass Association tried it on: whinging about the Government opening up the building sector to [check notes] overseas competition. 🤔

Goodness, we can't allow that. Windows?! Built overseas? Perish the thought. 😱

The Window and Glass Association claims overseas products "won't be fit for purpose" and consumers won't be able to access replacement parts and warranties.

But those crocodile tears simply don't stand up to scrutiny. Every day people make tradeoffs in the products they buy and ultimately make what they believe is the best choice for themselves. We see it with those who buy a Japanese car over a European one so it's easier to get replacement parts. Trusting consumers to make their own decisions is nothing new.

The group also argued that restricting foreign competition and forcing people to pay more for building products 
would "support local manufacturers". But artificially forcing people to pay more for one product simply means they have less money to spend elsewhere, in effect harming other local businesses. Ironically, economists call arguments like those made by the Association a "broken window fallacy".

👆 The Association's broken window fallacy in a nutshell 👆

As a part time DIY'er (or so he says), my colleague Connor told Radio NZ, "Only a special interest industry group could complain about reducing building costs during a housing crisis."

RNZ Building Concerns

Chris Hipkins caught red-handed fibbing about public sector statistics 🤥

Chris Hipkins isn't letting the facts get in the way of his defence of his public sector union mates. His latest ploy to skew the narrative on the back-office bureaucracy problem is to pretend there isn't one and fib about the numbers.

In an interview on Newshub earlier this week, Chris Hipkins said that the the number of public sector employees as a proportion of the total NZ workforce was smaller now than when he first took over:

"The size of the public sector workforce relative to the overall size of the workforce is actually slightly less than it was when we first became the government."

Bzzzzt. Wrong.

Data from the Public Service Commission shows that the total number of employees in the public sector as a proportion of the total NZ workforce actually increased under Labour's watch from 17.9% in 2017 to 18.7% in 2023.

(Here's the link for the benefit of any journalists wanting to factcheck Mr. Hipkins)

To make things worse, Hipkins is trying to pull the wool over New Zealanders' eyes by using public sector figures (which include nurses, teachers, etc) rather than public service figures (ie the bureaucrats), which is where the real bloat is at.

In fact, the number of pen-pushers in Wellington grew at more than three times the rate of education workers during the Labour Government!

If only Hipkins had been Minister of Education. Oh wait.

And it's not like Mr. Hipkins would know the difference between the public sector and public service and is in full knowledge that he's comparing apples with oranges. It's not like he's been Minister for the Public Service or anything...

Government departments cheating with their staffing cuts 🥸

When is a 'cut' a cut? It appears departments across the Public Service have been playing games with their job cut figures too.

Government departments have been overcooking the scale of the job reductions by including roles that don't currently have anyone in them!

For instance, the Department of Internal Affairs just last week told staff that they would be cutting 59 roles. Cue the outrage by the likes of Maiki the public sector unions. But of the 59, 42 are already vacant!

And the Ministry of Education, which claimed to be getting rid of more roles than any other department, at 565, is only really sacking 340 bureaucrats, because the rest are already empty!

This is what happens when Ministers delegate control of savings decisions to public sector bosses, rather than taking the hard decisions themselves.

Taxpayer Talk – MPs in Depth with James Meager

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Connor sat down with newly elected National MP, James Meager.

James was elected as the MP for Rangitata at the 2023 General Election, reclaiming the seat from Labour with a significant majority. James is a lawyer and also has a Bachelor of Arts. James made national headlines following his maiden speech where he spoke of his early life growing up as a Māori boy in a state house house with a single mother before going on to be head boy and dux of Timaru Boys' High School. At university, he says he was a libertarian. Now he is more of a classical liberal – advocating for limited, rather than minimal, government. 

Listen to the episode on our website | Apple Podcasts, | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

That's it for this week,

Yours aye,

Callum

Callum Signature

Callum Purves
Head of Campaigns
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union 

Donate

 

Media Mentions:

Kiwiblog Call for Support: Has the Time Come for a Wellington Ratepayer Activist Group?

Newhsub 'Got another thing coming': Govt's RMA changes a 'direct attack', 'add fuel to climate crisis fire' - opponents

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The Spinoff The voices that vanish in a decimated newsroom

RNZ Building product concerns dismissed: 'The industry is lacking competition'

NZ Herald Taxpayers’ Union attacks KiwiSaaS group that includes big tech names; they stand their ground

NZ Herald Mary Holm: How to kill debt without selling that classic car or treasured artwork

Sunday Star Times Aotearoa's most popular mayor: Dan Gordon of Waimakariri

NZ Herald Wayne Brown’s massive Auckland budget problems - Simon Wilson

interest.co.nz Independent Renumeration Authority recommends a 2.8% pay rise for Members of Parliament

NewstalkZB The Huddle: Do we need to keep funding the Christchurch Call?

The Platform Councillor Tony Randle on Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau's Decline

Otago Daily Times Letters to the Editor: Labour, trains and April fools

NewstalkZB Morning Edition: 01 May 2024 – Christchurch Call (01:50)

NewstalkZB Jason Walls: Newstalk ZB Political Editor on MPs being granted a pay rise

RNZ MPs pay rise 'out of touch' says Taxpayer Union

RNZ Labour leader Hipkins on EU trade deal

The Times Online Luxon pledges to donate pay rise to charity

Indian Newslink Taxpayers Union and others oppose pay hike to MPs

Pacific Media News PMN News 02 May 2024 – MPs’ Pay (01:00)

The Westport News How do Buller’s rates compare? [print only]

MPs in Depth: James Meager

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Connor sat down with National Party MP, James Meager. 

James was elected as the MP for Rangitata at the 2023 General Election, reclaiming the seat from Labour with a significant majority. James is a lawyer and also has a Bachelor of Arts. James made national headlines following his maiden speech where he spoke of his early life growing up as a Māori boy in a state house house with a single mother before going on to be head boy and dux of Timaru Boys' High School. At university, he says he was a libertarian. Now he is more of a classical liberal – advocating for limited, rather than minimal, government. 

James's maiden speech can be watched here. Follow James on Facebook here.

To support Taxpayer Talk, click here

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to email [email protected] 

You can also listen to Taxpayer Talk on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsiHeart Radio and all good podcast apps. 

BREAKING: Ivory tower academics call for tax on Netflix to subsidise Video Ezy and United Video

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming a proposal from ivory tower academics to tax digital services to subsidise traditional news media, equating it to taxing Netflix to subsidise obsolete Video Ezy and United Video.

Commenting on the proposal, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“If producers of better and cheaper goods and services were forced to stump up cash every time they threatened an incumbent, we would still be using horse and cart to get around.

“The reality is that consumer preferences are changing, so the media must change with it. Some companies are already doing this successfully, and we should not artificially prop up those who are unable to compete and crowd potentially better content out from the market.

“The only positive from this is that there appears to be at least some recognition that Willie Jackson’s Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill would lead to the same chaos seen in Canada and Australia where the tech companies have pulled news content - or are planning to - from their sites completely. But now, any claim to a supposedly principled argument over intellectual property is gone and it’s clear this is nothing more than a shameless money grab.”

Te Huia Train Service Must Stop Stealing From Motorists’ Pockets

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to end the rort that sees millions of dollars funnelled away from motorists into the inefficient and expensive Te Huia Train Service.

A recent review of the train service between Auckland and Hamilton reveals that it has budgeted a $5.45 million contribution from the NZTA for the current financial year.  Roughly 90% of NZTA’s Land Transport Fund comes from fuel, registration and road-user charges.

The Minister of Transport recently said that subsides equate to approximately $90 per passenger for each leg of the journey, or $180 per return trip.

Commenting on the review, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Motorists should not be forced to continue subsidising this unprofitable service, for which they derive minimal or no benefit at all. Essentially, motorists are subsidising the lifestyle choices of a small number of Hamiltonians – this has to stop.

“There is no clearer sign that this is a complete waste of money than the fact that it would be cheaper to pay for the fuel of every single passenger to drive alone each day instead.

“Transport decisions must be made with value for money and efficiency front of mind, not from an ill-informed and ideological hatred of cars.”

Economically illiterate council must not force $55 million hotel cost onto ratepayers

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming a proposal by Whanganui District Council to build a $55 million four-star hotel and carpark.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“It is unbelievable that while ratepayers are staring down the barrel of a 10.6% rates hike the council wants to throw ratepayer money down the drain on a vanity project.

“This is exactly the kind of waste and economically illiterate extravagance that got councils into the mess of needing double-digit rate hikes in the first place.

“The Mayor claims that there is strong case for the hotel, but if that’s really true then there will be plenty of private developers who will be willing to fund it. The council need not be involved.

Punishing businesses won’t lift Kiwis out of cost-of-living crisis

Responding to comments from Nicola Willis that scrapping commercial depreciation is being used to raise funds for personal income tax relief, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Hardworking Kiwis need income tax relief, but that’s only half the equation. Driving up the cost of doing business in New Zealand through short-term thinking like this will leave the country poorer in the long run.

“Given we have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world, Kiwis wanting to see real wage growth need their Government to be doing everything it can to attract investment, not going out of their way to scare it away.

“Public spending has increased 84% in just six years, while outcomes in health, education, and law and order have been plummeting. Whipping the public sector into shape is where Nicola Willis needs to be finding the savings for tax relief.”

Taxpayers’ Union slams secret list of judges’ perks

Taxpayers’ Union slams secret list of judges’ perks

Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said:

“In what world does your employer cover personal air fares for both you and your family, even when the purpose of the travel is completely unrelated to your work? No wonder the judiciary has been fighting tooth and nail to keep these special privileges under wraps – it’s a complete embarrassment.

“Judges are already paid upwards of $300,000 a year, and receive one of the most generous pension packages in the public sector. To then gift them a whole swathe of special perks on top of their already hefty salary is simply taking the mickey.

“The Chief Justice should be fronting up and justifying why any of these special allowances are appropriate, especially at a time when the courts are backed up the wazoo, and the average New Zealander is only getting poorer and poorer.”

Hipkins is wrong about what Labour Government got wrong

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming comments by Chris Hipkins that freezing MP pay under the Ardern government led to worse outcomes, arguing that he should instead reflect on the poor decision-making that made outcomes much worse over the past six years.

Chris Hipkins claimed on RNZ this morning that “every example of where we’ve meddled in the process as a Parliament in the past has led to worse outcomes rather than better outcomes.”

Responding to these comments, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Of all the decisions made by the previous government, it is embarrassing that Chris Hipkins’ only regret seems to be that his pay was frozen. The only bad outcome from freezing MP pay was felt by MPs personally with slightly less taxpayer money lining their pockets. The blame for the rest of the country’s problems sit squarely with politicians making terrible policy.

“Crime, education and health outcomes all got worse while government spending grew by 84% and debt spiralled out of control.

“It is the decisions of his Government that caused families to be struggling today. It is completely immoral to accept any pay increase until this country is turned back around.”

MPs must reject out-of-touch near $20,000 pay hike

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming today’s determination from the Remuneration Authority that backbench MPs will be receiving an additional $17,239 in base salaries by the end of the Parliamentary term.  This comes alongside a $2,320 increase to backbench MPs’ annual tax-free expense allowances by the end of the Parliamentary term.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, Jordan Williams, said:

“While the average income of households is going backwards, MPs are locking in annual increases that don’t reflect the real world. The decision demonstrates that the Wellington-based Remuneration Authority are out of touch with the rest of New Zealand.

“The base salary is highly misleading. Once the enormous superannuation subsidy, tax-free allowances, taxpayer-funded meals and accommodation allowances are factored in, even the lowest-paid MP is already paid more than $200,000.

“The economy is going backwards. Household incomes continue to decline. The Government is adding $75 million a day to the national debt. Now is not the time to hike MPs' pay.”

Air NZ’s nosediving performance shows need for privatisation

Commenting on news that Jetstar has overtaken Air New Zealand as the most reliable airline service provider, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Where’s the incentive for efficiency when the Government’s always got your back? It’s no wonder Jetstar is beating Air NZ to the punch.

“Taxpayers can’t keep being expected to turn a blind eye to the fact that a former Air NZ CEO is now running the very same Government that is failing to hold his former work pals accountable for their performance.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidising Koru Lounge jet-setters, and it’s well past time Air NZ got the Telecom treatment and was sold off.”

Revealed: Tauranga Council spending thousands paying transport fares for highest paid staff

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that Tauranga City Council has spent $41,900 over just seven months paying public transport fares for 630 of its staff, almost half of which are earning more than $100,000 a year.

The spending is part of the city’s Bee Card scheme that forces ratepayers to fund transport for bureaucrats who in most instances will be earning more than them.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

 “Council staff should be paying their own way to work like almost every other ratepayer has to. Ratepayers are effectively being forced to pay fares twice, once for their own travel into the city and a second time for the highly-paid bureaucrat sitting next to them.

“The Council is deliberately misleading ratepayers by over-inflating the impact of this handout on congestion and parking pressures. They assert that every ratepayer-funded trip taken means one less car on the road, neglecting to mention that some staff would have taken the bus regardless and others would have taken alternative transport such as walking, cycling or carpooling.

“If the council was really concerned about congestion, they should start by removing the free car parking subsidy for many of their staff. Tauranga residents would have never voted for this handout, but it’s no surprise the cartel of unelected commissioners are looking after their own at ratepayers’ expense.”

Kiwis slapped with second-highest tax hike in the developed world

Responding to news that New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax hikes in the OECD last year, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“People earning no more in real terms have a higher and higher proportion of their income taken with every passing year thanks to 14 uninterrupted years of bracket creep. The inflation tax keeps robbing more from Kiwi workers, and Government after Government has been happy to look the other way.

“As health, education, and law & order outcomes plummet, Kiwis have been squeezed dry for the privilege. A single Kiwi on the average wage needs to see Nicola Willis slashing their income tax bill cut by almost 7% just to undo last year’s ballooning alone.

“A one-off adjustment isn’t enough. Any tax relief in the budget without indexing tax brackets to inflation is just giving with one hand whilst promising to keep stealing more and more each year with the other.”

Government should should pull plug on tech sector handouts

Government should should pull plug on tech sector handouts

Responding to calls from tech sector group KiwiSaaS for millions of dollars in corporate welfare to be renewed, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“A special interest group calling for corporate welfare isn’t exactly news, but Judith Collins needs to hold firm and not cave in to crony capitalism.

“Governments shouldn’t be using taxpayers' money trying to pick winners or propping up fashionable industries like SaaS with handouts.

“If the government wants to put a rocket under New Zealand businesses, then the tried-and-true way to do that is just getting out of their way. Cut red tape and deliver businesses tax relief across the board. For SaaS companies, introducing full expensing would be a far better way to foster investment and growth than government subsidies.”

New Media Minister must rule out state intervention in private media

The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“His first move must be to condemn Willie Jackson’s Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill to the scrap heap. This bill would see New Zealanders losing access to news content on social media, as seen in Canada, and would break the underpinning of the internet that it is free to link to other sites.

“If media companies want to stop their content being used on social media platforms, they can already put it behind a paywall. In fact, we know they benefit from the current arrangement as outfits, including RNZ, are actually paying Facebook to advertise links to their content.

“No one would accept government bailouts or screwing the scrum in favour of Video Ezy when Netflix came about, we shouldn’t accept them for private media either. If the Minister wants to make it easier for private media to operate, he should consider privatising the state-owned media companies while they are still worth something to ensure a level playing field where no media is backed by a Government giant."

Taxpayers’ Union shatters Window & Glass Association’s protectionist drivel

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming today’s comments from Window and Glass Association NZ whinging about the opening up of their sector to much-needed competition.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Only a special interest industry group could complain about reducing building costs during a housing crisis. Their superficial arguments are nothing more than window dressing.

“It’s no surprise the Window and Glass Association supports the broken window fallacy, but the cracks in their argument are there for all to see.

“Forcing people to pay more than they otherwise would in an open market simply takes money away from consumers that would have been spent elsewhere, in effect costing jobs and punishing businesses in other sectors of the economy.

“Crocodile tears of concerns around the quality of products or the ease of getting replacement parts simply don’t hold up. Every day people make tradeoffs in the products they buy and ultimately make what they believe to be the best choice for themselves. We see it with those who opt to purchase a Japanese car over a European one due to the relative ease of getting replacement parts, trusting consumers to make their own decisions is nothing new.

“The industry should be welcoming competition, seeing it as an opportunity to prove they are the best in the world, kick innovation into gear and allow New Zealand’s entrepreneurial spirit to flourish. Instead, we are seeing another case of business leaders preaching ‘free market for thee but not for me’.

Revealed: Health Quality and Safety Commission continues rebrand madness, blowing nearly $365,000

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that the Health Quality and Safety Commission have spent $363,745 on a rebrand including $316,250 on a new website and $47,495 on a logo change (including GST).

These changes occurred during 2022 and 2023 which, according to the Commission ‘reflect how we see ourselves’.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager Connor Molloy commented:

“Somehow the commission and others have missed the memo of moving towards the standardised government branding and continued moving to new identities. Government agencies don’t need bespoke brands, by definition they aren’t competing with anyone.

“Taxpayers should rightly be mad that during peak inflation government agencies continued to splash around cash on virtue-signalling pet projects rather than sense-check every dollar spent that was first ripped out of the hands of struggling families.

“Taxpayers simply cannot afford flashy rebrands of all of our government departments every couple of years. The Government should require agencies to revert to standardised branding and stay that way – forever. We again offer up our support in redesigning these logos free of charge.”

Ratepayer Victory! Wellington pulls out of $32 million corporate handout

Commenting on the news that Wellington City Council have decided to not go ahead with the $32 million Reading Cinema deal, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:
 
“Whatever spin the mayor tried to put on it, it was clear from the get-go that shoving $32 million into the pockets of Reading’s multinational owners was a horrifically raw deal for ratepayers.
 
“It shouldn’t have taken 18 months for someone to cotton on to the fact that throwing tens of millions down the drain whilst pipes leak and community services are slashed possibly wasn’t prudent. But at least they got there in the end.
 
“Wellingtonians would be wise to remember which councillors came out to bat for them and which were happy to put corporate interests ahead of the city’s needs.”

Taxpayer Update: 18 months to assess whether water tank = fire risk 🤦‍♂️ | Tauranga's grifters lobby to stay on gravy train 🚂 | Labour's 182 questions about the Taxpayers' Union 🤨

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The geniuses at MBIE take 18 months to officially decide that a water tank is not a fire risk 💦 🔥

The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) took 18 long months of umming and ahing to come to the bold conclusion that a water tank on a Kāinga Ora development did not – in fact – present a fire risk.

Peter Hird, MBIE's Principle Advisor eventually made an official determination that:

 "[It is] very unlikely a fire could occur in the tank given that the plastic tank would contain water and air"

No .... Sherlock!

Remember too that these are the same people who are desperately trying to justify their own bureaucrats. I mean, without them, how would we know water tanks are 'very unlikely' to burst into flames?

Sticky government-driven inflation is still punishing Kiwis 📈 😳

Stats NZ have published the latest inflation figures showing that prices have increased by 4% in the last year – making it now 34 months since it was last inside the Government's target range of 1 to 3%.

While the rate of price increases is slowing a bit, domestic inflation – the inflation that is driven up by the huge increases in Government spending – is still running red hot. The latest figure of 5.8% is just as bad as it was last quarter.

The difference between "tradable" inflation (i.e. what we get in from the rest of the world) and "non-tradables" (domestic) suggests that while the rest of the world will start to lower interests rates, New Zealand is in for a longer hangover. That's not good.

Those living paycheck to paycheck – especially those facing higher mortgage repayments – will feel it. We say Nicola Willis needs to go much further and faster to tighten the Government's own belt in next month's budget to get domestic inflation back under control.

Misinformation on public service 'cuts' continues 📰 🔄

Speaking of belt tightening, the reporting on the Government's Public Service 'cuts' through Wellington-tinted lenses continues to be one-sided.

From the wilful misinterpretation of back-office savings as 'stabbing at the heart of front-line'  to the unquestioning regurgitation of public sector union talking points, most of the reporting on the Public Service reductions fails to put the savings in context. 

Let's be very clear – it's not nice to lose your job and most of these public servants are in this position through no fault of their own.

But let's get the story straight.

The Government's 'cuts' to the bureaucracy are not drastic. In, fact, they are small fry when compared with the astronomical staffing increases we saw under six years of Labour.

👆Mr Luxon is miles off his pre-election promise to cut 14,000 bureaucrats👆

And the Government knows it. In the run up to the election, Christopher Luxon and National were banging on about how we had seen very little in return for an extra 14,000 (now 18,000) bureaucrats since 2017.

"We're spending a billion more each and every week, when you think we've added 14,000 more bureaucrats to Wellington and yet on the economy, on health, on housing, on crime and on education everything is going backwards, the outcomes are going backwards." (Luxon 2022)

But on current plans Luxon isn't dismissing anywhere near that.

In fact, on current projections, the Public Service won't event be stripped back beyond what it was at the election back in October.

Sign the petition: Save the money, sack the bureaucrats 🖊 ✖️🧑‍💼️

The Government was elected to take a chainsaw to the bloated back-office bureaucracy. Instead, the Mr Luxon's barely applied a bonsai pruner.

Sack the Bureaucratic

If you agree that Luxon needs to stick to his promise and sack the 14,000 extra bureaucrats that were hired under Labour's last minute hiring bonanza, take 30 seconds to sign our petition calling on the Government to go further and faster with their staffing reductions to cut the waste and balance the books.

👉 Sign the petition calling on Luxon and his Government to sack Labour's 14,000 extra public servants 👈

Labour tackling the real issue on voters' minds: the Taxpayers' Union 🧐

After a slow start from the now opposition Labour Party, we're happy to report that its MPs are making good use of Parliamentary written questions to Ministers. Written questions are the primary way MPs hold the Government to account and elicit detailed information out of Ministers and their officials.

But, it seems Labour's political radar about what New Zealanders are most worried about right now is a little off. Cost of living crisis? Tax relief? Budget deficits? Infrastructure? Government debt? No, no, no, the real issue deserving His Majesty's Loyal Opposition's attention is none other than the Taxpayers' Union!

No less than sixteen Labour MPs have taken the time to file 182 questions about the Taxpayers' Union since they've been in opposition. That's more than one question about the Taxpayers' Union every day since the election! 

While we're flattered that Chris Hipkins and Labour are taking so much interest in the work we do, we do have to ask ... 

Next time, save the money, pick up the phone 📞 

We know Chris Hipkins' staff read our emails (hi, Chris! 👋) so next time, rather than waste hundreds of hours of officials' time, just ask us for the information! What we say to Ministers is no different to what we say publicly (our "secret agenda" is no secret: Lower Taxes, Less Waste, More Accountability) and we'll be more than happy to provide any information you like!

With Labour so interested in our work, (and wanting to see every communication our supporters have with Ministers) your humble Taxpayers' Union has decided to cut out the middle man and will now copy Labour into our advocacy emails sent to Ministers.

In fact, we've starting doing it already. Willie Jackson wanted to know what we've been saying to Melissa Lee about media bailouts, hoping to 'catch us out'. Well, we've copied him into the 7,000+ emails sent by our supporters to Melissa Lee on the subject. You're welcome, Willie! 💁‍♂️ 

Unelected Commissioners use ratepayer money to lobby for postponement of democracy (and keep cushy jobs!) 🙄

Earlier this month, we slammed Tauranga City Council Commission Chair, Anne Tolley for some disturbing comments she made on an interview with Mike Hosking, where she warned against going back to a democratically elected council as it would bring back the 'old guard' and make the city go 'backwards.'

Apparently the good people of Tauranga might vote for the wrong people! 😱

Anne Tolley also said she would 'personally'  prefer a 'hybrid model' of democracy, where the council would be made up of elected representatives and unelected commissioners (i.e. her!).

Her reasoning: because "at times [democracy] fails."

Yes – you read that right.

But it turns out that wasn't even just her 'personal' wish. In fact, according to a letter sent by the Commission to the Local Government Minister late last year, all four unelected commissioners have been pushing hard to make this hybrid version of democracy a reality.

In that letter they even refer to a report they commissionedwhich cost local ratepayers $32,817that advocates a hybrid model with a 60/40 split for the next two elections, prolonging the return to a fully elected council until 2028!

What rubbish. There is no such thing as a hybrid democracy. You either have democracy, or you don't. Tauranga residents have waited long enough for a return to accountability and they shouldn't have to wait any longer.

Anne Tolley's $1,800-a-day gravy train needs to be derailed 🚂

While Anne 'unelected' Tolley might still be drinking Nanaia Mahuta's 'anything-but-democracy' cool-aide (and savouring the $1800-a-day she's being paid), we were delighted to see one of Tauranga's local National MPs Tom Rutherford rule out Tolley's ridiculous proposal.

Tauranga-based ACT MP, Cameron Luxton, has also previously called for the commissioners powers to be limited in the run up to July's election. It's not too late, Simeon...

2024 student interns: applications now open  🧑‍💻️ 🆕

Rhys Budge

Do you know any bright young students based in Wellington who might be interested escaping the left-wing groupthink that are our universities?

We're looking for our next intake of part-time student interns.

The internships  are varied as we like to play to people's strengths and interests. On any given day, our interns:

🔸 File information requests with government departments to expose wasteful spending

🔸 Help draft media releases for our spokespeople on breaking news stories;

🔸 Write briefing papers or short reports on public policy issues;

🔸 Create video and other content for our social media platforms;

🔸 Man our stands at grassroots events such as Fieldays and A&P shows

If you know someone with a keen interest in politics, public policy, or economics who wants to gain some valuable experience working in New Zealand's best union, send them our way.

Taxpayer Talk – MPs in Depth with Mike Butterick 🎙 🧈

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Connor sat down with newly elected National MP, Mike Butterick

Mike, a farmer and farming advocate, was elected as the MP for Wairarapa in the 2023 General Election. He has previously been involved with Federated Farmers and was the spokesperson for 50 Shades of Green, a lobby group addressing forestry encroachment on farmland. Mike is also active in community organisations, including serving as a director of Wings over Wairarapa. Passionate about education, his constituents, and the rural sector, Mike advocates strongly for local, community-led solutions to various issues.

Listen to the episode on our website | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

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That's it for this week,

Yours aye,

Callum

Callum Signature

Callum Purves
Head of Campaigns
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union 

 

Media Mentions:

Democracy Project Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?

Kiwiblog Fire and Emergency costs blowout

1News A thousand govt jobs cut in 'black day' for public service

Newsroom New Zealand’s crisis of confidence

Chris Lynch Media RNZ spends $71,000 on Facebook ads while supporting bill to regulate digital giants

Telegraph UK What New Zealand’s U-turn on smoking ban could mean for Rishi Sunak

Hawke’s Bay App Taxpayers’ Union slams eye-watering Hastings rates hike

The Listener Danyl McLauchlan: Politicians may not like the daily news media, but they’ll miss them when they’re gone

RNZ Political commentators Dale Husband and Liam Hehir (10:35)

Press Releases:

NEW POLL: Strong support for inflation adjustment of tax brackets to end the stealth tax

Government spending still driving cost of living skyward

REVEALED: RNZ’s Hypocrisy Over Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill

Christchurch City Council's stadium obsession needs to stop

Taxpayers’ Union Slams Eye-Watering Hastings Rates Hike

Rates Increase Shocker – Gore Residents Face Rates Hike Of 21.4%

RMA Changes Welcome, But Must Go Further

RMA changes welcome, but must go further

Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said:

“These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable red tape but they don’t go far enough.

“While we welcome the removal of the requirement on consent applicants to demonstrate compliance with the Te Mana o te Wai hierarchy of obligations, the Government must go further and remove all references to Te Mana o te Wai altogether.

“Te Mana o te Wai is vague and ill-defined, going so far as to mean different things in different parts of the country, depending on the local iwi or hāpu. We have serious concerns about councils continuing to waste money on work to uphold Te Mana o te Wai, even it it is not required by law. We are writing to Minister Bishop seeking clarification on a number of issues related to this and urge his Government to issue a direction to councils halting all work on this issue."

Rates Increase Shocker – Gore residents face rates hike of 21.4%

Responding to reports that Gore District Council is proposing to hike rates by 21.4%, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson, Sam Warren, said:

“Clearly something is very broken for councils across New Zealand.

“A culture of historic wasteful spending throughout local government, combined with soaring costs, has resulted in an proposed average increase of 15 percent across the county. Sadly, Gore residents are well above this average.

“The chickens are coming home to roost, and as always, it is ratepayers having to foot the bill.  The council must now take a ruthless approach to cutting spending, eliminating any expenditure that is not on core services in order to protect ratepayers from an unaffordable rates hike in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.”

MPs in Depth: Mike Butterick

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Connor sat down with National Party MP, Mike Butterick. 

Mike, a farmer and farming advocate, was elected as the MP for Wairarapa in the 2023 General Election. He has previously been involved with Federated Farmers and was the spokesperson for 50 Shades of Green, a lobby group addressing forestry encroachment on farmland. Mike is also active in community organisations, including serving as a director of Wings over Wairarapa. Passionate about education, his constituents, and the rural sector, Mike advocates strongly for local, community-led solutions to various issues.

Mike's maiden speech can be watched here. Follow Mike on Facebook here.

To support Taxpayer Talk, click here

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to email [email protected] 

You can also listen to Taxpayer Talk on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsiHeart Radio and all good podcast apps. 

MPs in Depth: Andrew Hoggard

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Connor sat down with ACT Party MP, Andrew Hoggard. 

Andrew is a Manawatu farmer, has an Agricultural Economics degree and, prior to entering Parliament, was the President of Federated Farmers. Andrew has stepped straight into the role as Minister for both Biosecurity and Food Safety along with a number of associate portfolios. In this interview, Andrew discusses his life before politics, the issues he sees facing rural New Zealand and an insight into his experiences working in Canada where the dairy sector operates very differently with significant government control and intervention. 

Andrew's maiden speech can be watched here. Follow Andrew on Facebook here.

To support Taxpayer Talk, click here

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to email [email protected] 

You can also listen to Taxpayer Talk on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsiHeart Radio and all good podcast apps. 

Taxpayers’ Union slams eye-watering Hastings rates hike

Responding to reports that Hastings District Council is set to hike rates by 25 percent, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“We get that cyclone recovery and investing in resilient infrastructure will obviously be front of mind but the Council must ensure that it does not make the process more painful than it needs to be by using the cyclone as a shield to justify eye-watering rates hikes when there is still plenty of fat to trim.

“Many families are still dealing with the effects of the cyclone too. Hiking rates by an eye-watering 25% is simply unthinkable. With the council spending $9 million more on staff salaries compared to 2019 and more than a quarter of its staff earning above $100,000 per year, there is plenty of room for back office savings rather than heaping extra costs onto struggling ratepayers.

“After doing everything possible to cut back the size of the rates hike, the council must ensure that every cent goes into core service delivery, rather than expensive vanity projects like its recent $70,000 logo redesign.

Christchurch City Council's stadium obsession needs to stop

Christchurch City Council's stadium obsession needs to stop

Responding to Christchurch City Council’s dilemma on what to do about their $34.2m stadium streets project, given that the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) have not confirmed whether they will provide $13m in funding for the project, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman Alexander Murphy said:

“This stadium has already burdened Christchurch ratepayers enough, with its ridiculous delays and enormous budget blowouts. These extra nice-to-haves are clearly unaffordable, and represent nothing more than just wasteful gold-plating.

“Christchurch ratepayers have only just been slapped with a double–digit rates hike and are being warned of more to come. Any responsible Council should be focussed on getting that figure down by any means necessary – including scrapping needless vanity projects like this.”

“This upgrade is clearly not a priority for NZTA, who aren’t even convinced they’ll be able to hold up their side of the bargain come July, so why should it be a priority for the Council? Potentially opening up ratepayers to further costs going forward by ploughing ahead here would be ludicrously irresponsible.”

REVEALED: RNZ’s hypocrisy over Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that Radio New Zealand (RNZ) spent $71,842.53 on Facebook advertising over the past 12 months, despite earlier this year coming out in support of the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, which would force the likes of Facebook to pay media companies when users share links to domestic news content.

Responding to these revelations, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“RNZ cannot simultaneously argue that the sharing of their content online is bad for business while at the same time seeing so much benefit in social media promotion of their content that they spend tens of thousands of dollars on paid promotion. This blatant contradiction shows their calls for government intervention are nothing more than a shameless money grab.

“RNZ’s endorsement of the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill suggests they think platforms like Facebook and Google exploit New Zealand’s media landscape. RNZ’s Facebook ad spending shows they know that just isn’t true.

“It appears what RNZ are really upset about is the fact that we are now in the 21st century, so New Zealanders can access news from almost anywhere in the world. Kiwis are turning away from a Government-owned media that they simply don’t enjoy or trust anymore.

“This rort would just lead to a re-run of the farce in Canada where social media sites pulled access to news. Scrambling for handouts and bailouts isn’t the answer to RNZ’s unwillingness to innovate.”


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