Civilian's gain major parties' loss Herald - 11/06/2014

The Civilian, a satirical website, has been allocated taxpayers' money to fund election policies such as 'free icecream' and a 'llama for each child'. The Herald covers Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams on the wasteful allocation of taxpayers' money. 

Mr Uffindell, the writer behind satirical website The Civilian, has been targeted by lobby group the Taxpayers Union and Prime Minister John Key for wasting taxpayer funding after last week being allocated $33,635 in taxpayer funds for broadcast election advertising for the coming campaign.

"In reality, the Civilian Party will be thinking the biggest joke's on us, the taxpayer," Mr Key said.

Taxpayers Union spokesman Jordan Williams said for the party to accept the money to promote its policies of free ice cream and a llama for each child in poverty was "outrageous".

"This is an affront to very important issues like health and education. It is absurd that while people wait for surgery, the Civilian Party receives $33,000 of taxpayer money for what is essentially a hobby horse."

But Mr Uffindell told the Herald the money was coming from a $3.28 million pool which would be fully allocated - mostly to National and Labour - anyway.

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