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Barbara Edmonds Leads Where Government Fails on Policy Scrutiny
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union welcomes reports that Labour’s finance spokesperson, Barbara Edmonds, has offered to support Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ efforts to establish an election policy costing unit.
Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said:
“Barbara Edmonds is on the right track with her members’ bill. It’s rare for the Taxpayers’ Union to call on the Government to spend money or create new offices, but this has long-term benefits to the taxpayer. We have been calling for this for more than a decade, and run our own pre-election policy costing unit, called the “Bribe-O-Meter” during various election cycles.”
“It’s true that Minister Willis’ proposal for a unit within the Public Service Commission cannot be considered truly independent. Our preference would be for it to be an officer of Parliament, like the Auditor General and the Parliamentary Commissioners.”
“We also favour a full service, Independent Fiscal Institute or Office of Budget Responsibility similar to that in the UK. Its role would be to expose the fiscal cliffs and budget assumptions that the public need clarity on to make informed voting decisions.”
“Governments continually kicking the budget surplus can down the road and running up debt is costing the country. A properly structured Independent Fiscal Institute would provide much greater transparency which promotes more accountability. Greater sunlight will lead to more responsible fiscal management that will deliver long-term savings far in excess of the Institute's cost.”
“Edmonds’ policy is a good recipe as a first step, and we will do everything we can to support this initiative.”
Death and Wealth Taxes Back on the Table — Hipkins Must Rule Them Out
Responding to Winston Peters ruling out working with Chris Hipkins after the 2026 election, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesperson Tory Relf said:
“A potential Labour Government would now almost certainly need to rely on parties demanding wealth and death taxes. That would cripple family farms and small businesses.”
“Kiwis need economic growth, not another $44,000-per-household in taxes. If Chris Hipkins wants to be taken seriously on the economy, he must rule out these punishing taxes - no ifs, no buts.”
Hipkins' Loose Talk on Lifting Debt Cap is Economic Vandalism
The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Labour Leader Chris Hipkins for refusing to commit to the Government’s 50 percent debt ceiling on RNZ's Morning Report — a reckless move that could spook credit rating agencies and raise borrowing costs across the board.
Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:
“Even Grant Robertson had the sense to maintain a firm debt anchor. Chris Hipkins now seems to be throwing that away, sending the message that a future Labour Government would be open to borrowing beyond what’s prudent, affordable, or sustainable.”
“Markets take this kind of talk seriously. If Labour won't commit to a debt limit, credit agencies may well react by downgrading New Zealand’s rating. That means higher interest costs not just for Government, but for every Kiwi household and business trying to borrow.”
According to the New Zealand Debt Clock (www.debtclock.nz), Government debt currently sits at $190.9 billion, or $93,811 per household, and is growing every second.
“Every household in the country is already carrying nearly $94,000 in Government debt on its back. The very last thing New Zealand needs is a Prime Minister-in-waiting signalling he’s ready to make that burden even heavier.”
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Labour to clarify its fiscal policy and immediately recommit to the 50% debt ceiling.
“Lifting the cap isn’t a ‘mature conversation’. It’s a dangerous flirtation with economic irresponsibility and the costs will fall on taxpayers.”
Open letter to Jacinda Ardern
Yesterday the Labour Party confirmed its proposal for a new Children's Ministry and Minister. The Taxpayers' Union emailed Jacinda Ardern, the party's Spokesperson for Children.
Dear Ms Ardern,We understand from your public comments today that the Labour Party is proposing a new “Children’s Ministry” and “Children’s Minister” (refer to http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1312/S00106/report-slams-government-inaction-on-protecting-our-kids.htm).The Taxpayers’ Union supports all evidence based measures to help Kiwi kids succeed. We are not certain what yet another ministry (and job title) will achieve in terms of results on the ground. As you are probably aware we welcomed your announcement last month to abolish the Families Commission quango, a move we hoped signalled Labour’s intention to divert resources into front line services, rather than bureaucrats writing reports such as the one titled “Eating Together at Mealtimes”.As such, we seek the background material on the proposed Ministry/Minister that would answer the following questions:
- What are the cost projections to establish the Ministry?
- What is the projected per year baseline funding?
- Will the Ministry’s primary focus be policy advice or service delivery? If the latter, what responsibility and resources will be taken away from CYF, MSD or other ministries/departments?
- In terms of the number of FTE employees, how large do you propose the Ministry to be?
- Can you point to any overseas models or research which would indicate how you propose the new Ministry will work, its service delivery, and outcomes?
- How would the Ministry differ from the existing Families Commission?
We propose to post this email on our website. If you have any objection, please let me know without delay.New Zealand Taxpayers' Union Inc.
Once we have a response, we'll post here.
In the mean time, we're planning our activities for election year. We're considering a 'cost calculator' service to track the promises from each party and check what politicians plan to do with taxpayers' money. Do you think it's worth us doing? Give us your thoughts by commenting on our Facebook page.
Read moreTaxpayers’ Union welcomes Labour Party pledge
The Taxpayers’ Union has welcomed Labour MP Jacinda Ardern’s announcement that if elected, Labour will scrap the Families Commission quango.
Government funding for an organisation churning out reports such as ‘Eating Together at Mealtimes’, is better spent on the frontline. We support Labour’s stance.
The Families Commission was only ever a result of an election deal with a minor party. We are glad Labour realise the need for money to be spent where it will be most effective for taxpayers.
The Families Commission’s ‘Eating Together at Mealtimes’ report is available
at http://www.familiescommission.org.nz/publications/research-reports/eating-together-at-mealtimes