REVEALED: Health NZ paid Russell Harrison for taxpayer-funded ad while he was on taxpayer-funded gardening leave

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that Health New Zealand paid Russell Harrison to appear in a taxpayer-funded childhood immunisation campaign in 2023 while he remained on taxpayer-funded gardening leave from the Ministry of Justice.

The advertisement has now been removed by Health NZ following questions from the Taxpayers’ Union but is available to watch on our YouTube channel.

Health NZ says Harrison was engaged through a third-party agency, but has refused to say how much taxpayer money was spent, forcing the Taxpayers’ Union to lodge Official Information Act requests.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tyler Groenewald said:

“This story keeps getting worse. While the Ministry of Justice was paying Russell Harrison to sit at home for five years, Health NZ was also paying him with taxpayer money to appear in ads."

“Health NZ has now quietly pulled the ad, but taxpayers still deserve answers. How much was Harrison paid? Who approved it? And what checks were carried out before public money was handed over?"

“The public service cannot just wipe the ad from the internet and hope the questions disappear with it. Taxpayers deserve accountability, not another cover-up.”