What is quantitative easing, and why are markets in New Zealand and abroad seen a recent bounce after dramatic falls due to COVID-19? For an in depth look at how markets are responding - including their implications on housing and inflation here in New Zealand, Jordan and Joe are joined by Bevan Wallace, Executive Director of Morgan Wallace. Bevan’s recent explainer on QE and inflation is available here.

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The Prime Minister’s announcement of a 20 percent pay cut for MPs and public sector CEOs is a significant victory for taxpayers.

Today’s announcement is a very welcome signal from the Prime Minister. Families across the country have their livelihoods threatened by the economic shutdown, so it’s only fair that politicians and public sector leaders share the financial burden.

The pay cuts need to extend deeper into the public service - many of the individuals reporting to public sector CEOs will be earning more than $250,000 themselves. But the sacrifices announced today are a great start, and the Prime Minister should be congratulated for her leadership.

We’d like to thank everyone who signed our petition for public sector pay cuts, as well as those who have shared our Public Sector CEO Rich List, which highlighted just how inflated the salaries of public sector bosses are.

Of course all eyes are now on local government. We’re calling on Mayors, Councillors, Town Clerks, and all of those on more than $250,000 and working for a council, to stand with our Prime Minister and make the same sacrifice, as we all unite for COVID-19.

Today we have launched a new campaign to temporarily reduce the remuneration of politicians, senior bureaucrats, and council bosses to match those voluntary and involuntary efforts in the private sector where pay is being slashed.

We’re asking the public sector to fairly share the burden of the economic crunch by cancelling all pay hikes until the economy has recovered. We’re also asking elected officials, public sector CEOs*, and their leadership teams** to take a 12-month twenty percent pay cut.

A temporary salary reduction for those paid the most in the public sector would be a prudent and compassionate response to the pressures faced by households and businesses across New Zealand. Business leaders predict unemployment to rise to around ten percent in the coming months, and private sector bosses are taking financial haircuts to limit the impact on lower earners.

The average public sector salary is around a third higher than that of the private sector. They also have the luxury of far higher job security. A twenty percent pay cut is a small sacrifice in these extraordinary times when so many New Zealanders are losing their jobs.

A petition for taxpayers to support the campaign can be signed at www.paycut.nz

>> Click here to add your name in support <<

The Taxpayers' Union is also drafting a Parliamentary amendment bill:

1. instructing the Remuneration Authority not to increase any remuneration until real GDP is at or above the Q4-2019 level; and
2. confirming in the law that those whose remuneration is determined by the Remuneration Authority can voluntarily forgo all or some of their pay.

* includes CEOs of SOEs and Crown Companies.
** defined as second-level managers who report to CEOs.

Spending of taxpayer money has gone through the roof as the Government helps businesses through the COVID-19 crisis. How concerned should New Zealanders be? And how does our response compare to other countries? Louis interviews local Economist Joe Ascroft and Daniel Bunn of the Tax Foundation (based in Washington DC) – who is leading their project Tracking Economic Relief Plans Around the World during the Coronavirus Outbreak.

You can subscribe to Taxpayer Talk via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio and all good podcast apps.

As confirmed by the Government today, the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is one of the many employers that have accepted the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy. This decision was made on the basis of our ethical obligations to staff during the government-mandated economic shutdown.

The decision to accept this subsidy was not as simple for us as for most organisations. Prior to COVID-19, we have stated on the record that we would never accept taxpayer funding. That commitment was, of course, made in a time few New Zealanders could possibly have anticipated COVID-19 and the ensuing economic situation.

After brief deliberation, the Taxpayers' Union board determined the welfare of our employees to be a more pressing immediate concern than ideological purity.

Moreover, we support the Government's strategy helping employers through the current crisis and we have not criticised any employer for taking this subsidy. It is important to distinguish between targeted corporate welfare, which we oppose, and across-the-board compensation for the effects of a government-mandated economic shutdown.

We stand with all employers affected by the lockdown and urge the Government to urgently advance an 'exit plan' that will create the conditions for all businesses to return to self-sufficiency.

Despite the national health and financial emergency, most councils are still planning to hike rates - some up to nine or ten percent. Louis interviews Hutt City Councillor Chris Milne & Christchurch City Councillor Sam MacDonald on their response to our campaign calling for a nationwide rates freeze and ways councils can save money.

You can support our campaign calling for a naitonwide rates freeze at www.ratesfreeze.nz. The dashboard referred to in the podcast is available at www.taxpayers.org.nz/rates_dashboard

You can subscribe to Taxpayer Talk via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all good podcast apps.

rateCouncils across the country are scheduled to increase rates by as much as 10% in the coming months, despite the hardships faced by households in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown.

> Click here to sign the petition calling for a nationwide rates freeze <

Find out where your local (and regional) council stands on rates freezes in the table below.

Green means a council has signaled a rates freeze.
Orange means a council has signaled a reduction in planned rate hikes.
Red means a council has not signaled any reduction in planned rate hikes.

This dashboard is subject to ongoing updates. Please contact team@taxpayers.org.nz if you have more up to date information.

> Click here to sign the petition calling for a nationwide rates freeze <

In this episode, Jordan talks to Dr David Law (Research Fellow) and Dr Eric Crampton (Chief Economist) at the New Zealand Initiative thinktank. Dr Law has just published a paper, Policy Point: Short-time work to maintain employment and Dr Crampton a Research Note: Effective Treatment: Public policy prescription for a pandemic. Both join us to discuss their papers, as well as why current calls from leftwing groups for a UBI are misguided.

You can subscribe to Taxpayer Talk via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all good podcast apps.

In response to the speed in which the economic and political environment is changing due to COVID-19, we have brought forward the launch of our podcast.  The first interview was last Thursday and Friday with Damian Grant and Michael Ridell who take opposing views on the extent to which the Government should intervene to keep people in their jobs during the crisis.

You can subscribe to Taxpayer Talk via Spotify here (press "follow" after clicking the link). Apple Podcast approval is still in process.

We welcome your feedback / constructive criticism as we master the art of casting the pod from self-isolation!

The Taxpayers’ Union has launched a campaign aiming to force New Zealand’s mayors and regional council chairs to commit to a 12-month rates freeze in light of current economic challenges.

While the Government prioritises economic relief for struggling families and employers, most local councils are still planning significant rate hikes in the coming months. Some have plans to hike rates up to nine or ten percent from 1 July.

In the letter to mayors and chairs, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “The Government is currently prioritising economic relief for businesses and households facing economic calamity. But rate hikes at this time of economic turmoil will serve to exacerbate immediate financial stresses and undermine the Government’s relief strategy. Any economist will tell you that a recession is the most damaging time to hike taxes.”

The letter advises councils to cater for the reduction in expected revenue with cuts to lowest-value spending, rather than borrowing. “Households and businesses are cutting costs and it is only fair that your council does the same — we must all cut our cloth to fit the new economic reality.”

A public petition has also been launched at www.RatesFreeze.nz.