The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming news of another taxpayer-funded payout, this time to Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Christian Hawkesby, calling it the second golden handshake revealed in as many months.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“This is déjà vu for taxpayers. Just weeks after Adrian Orr’s golden goodbye was revealed, we’re now seeing another six-figure payout dressed up as a ‘restraint of trade’. It’s the same old story: public-sector insiders look after their own while taxpayers pick up the tab.”

“Most Kiwis don’t get a cushy payout when they leave their jobs, so why should bureaucrats who already get paid eye-watering salaries be treated any differently?”

“The power to stop this sits squarely with Minister Judith Collins. Anyone in the public service earning more than the Prime Minister should have no entitlement to a taxpayer-funded golden handshake, period.”

“Two golden handshakes in two months is two too many. The Minister needs to act now to protect taxpayers from footing the bill for more of these outrageous payouts.”

Taxpayers who agree that golden handshakes must end can sign the petition at taxpayers.org.nz/petition_end_golden_handshakes.

While frontline health workers are crying out for resources, public sector bosses are walking away with six-figure payouts— even when they fail.

These golden handshakes are bureaucratic back-handers at their worst. Taxpayer-funded farewell packages, legal settlements, and even private courses for disgraced officials are being dished out with zero accountability.

It’s time to change the law. Public servants paid more than Cabinet Ministers (c. $296,000pa) they should not be able to take unjustified dismissal claims against the Crown nor receive taxpayer-funded pay-outs to resign when they’ve done a bad job.

If senior public servants are to be paid the big bucks, they should accept the responsibility that comes with the role. 

⬇️ Add your name below. ⬇️

New Zealand sends $1 million a year to the UN Relief and Works Agency in Palestine (UNRWA), an organisation which funds hate-filled ideology and has now been implicated in the terrorist attacks of 7th October.

Australia, Canada, Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, the Netherlands and the US have all already pulled the plug on funding UNRWA. New Zealand needs to step up to the plate and follow suit

Sign the petition below to stop your tax dollars being used to fund terrorism and hate in the Middle East:

As Christchurch residents look down the barrel of a 15.8% rates hike, the Council is considering putting in a bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030. 

The 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham cost $1.5 billion, in Australia the state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the games due to the cost ballooning to an estimated $7 billion and the Canadian province of Alberta pulled out of hosting due to the $2.6 billion estimated cost.

Even at the lower end of these estimates, hosting the Games would cost more than $9000 per residential ratepayer which is simply not affordable when debt is already at almost $25,000 per residential ratepayer.

Too often Government agencies mislead the public and disrespect taxpayers by claiming that many public services are ‘free’, when they are in fact taxpayer-funded.

We say that the fib by officials is both misleading, and corrosive to public trust in our institutions.

Sign the petition calling on the Government to prohibit public servants from using the word ‘free’ or similar and instead require them to clarify that the service or benefit is funded by the taxpayer.

Members of Parliament are getting ready to receive a $17,239 pay hike while hundreds of thousands of families earning less than them struggle to pay the bills. With inflation still driving up the cost of living, Government debt spiralling out of control, and an urgent need to rein in spending, it is simply not the time for politician pay hikes. Reaching deeper into your pocket to line theirs is completely out of touch. Sign the petition saying no to pay rises for Members of Parliament below:

With the Government books now in crisis, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Grant Robertson to slash wasteful spending and reduce the number of back-office bureaucrats before it is too late.

“Revelations that the Minister of Finance has been calling public service officials into his office to discuss financial restraint shows just how dire the Government’s financial position is,” Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Callum Purves says.

“But restraint isn’t enough. With Government debt reaching almost $79,000 per household, Grant Robertson needs to significantly slash the billions in wasteful spending to help get the books back in the black.

“It’s clear that Grant Robertson is running out of excuses when it comes to justifying the Government’s monstrous budget hole. Even he knows the current state of the books is untenable.

“The actual budget deficit is already far worse than Treasury predicted and internal sources suggest that the deficit will be significantly larger by next month’s Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update.

“It is time for Minister Robertson to prove that he is capable of getting spending under control in order to stop inflation and create the confidence for people to invest in New Zealand and grow the economy.”

Concerned New Zealanders can sign our petition here.

Let our Schools Decide: Taxpayers’ Union launches petition

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has launched a petition calling for schools to have the authority to make their own decisions about emergency closures based on local circumstances rather than be beholden to bureaucrats in Wellington.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager Callum Purves says:

“The blanket shut down of all schools in Auckland following the weekend’s flooding has highlighted how tactics that were used during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic have been normalised

“One-size-fits-all shut downs disadvantage students in areas unaffected by the emergency, impact kids’ education, and force parents to take time off work unnecessarily.

“Education is a core public service and it is funded by our taxes. Taxpayers are right to expect that closing schools should be a very last resort and should be informed by the circumstances of each school.

“It is time to stop the edicts from Wellington dictating what they think is in the best interests of our communities and let our local schools make the best decisions for their pupils, parents and staff."

Aucklanders can sign the petition at www.taxpayers.org.nz/let_schools_decide

Napier City Council is reportedly negotiating a nearly $1 million payout for departing CEO Wayne Jack.

Departing CEOs do not need or deserve massive payouts – especially when they've lost the confidence of councillors. If Napier City Council is unhappy with Wayne Jack's performance – and they have every reason to be – then they should avoid the cost of a managed exit, and simply fire him.

Mr Jack has spent seven years being paid around $300,000 – he's milked Napier ratepayers enough already.

The new Government refuses to release an agreement between the Labour Party and New Zealand First about the rules and expectations of Ministers under the coalition.

The document, apparently 38 pages long, is alleged to contain Ministerial directives and strategy for the coalition government. 

That document is of obvious public importance – yet the Prime Minister’s Office has refused to release it in responses to requests under the Official Information Act. Incredibly, Ms Ardern claims the document doesn’t represent “official information”.

We say that’s absurd, taxpayers and the public are entitled to know what it contains.

Jacinda Ardern made much of transparency and freedom of information while in opposition. We say she should walk the walk, not just talk the talk on freedom of information, and obey the Official Information Act by releasing the secret agreement. If you agree, add your name to the petition below.