Posted in NEWS by NZTU Media | September 30, 2026
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Labour to release its own costing for its pay equity policy after disputing Treasury’s figures but refusing to provide an alternative.Taxpayers’ Union spokeswoman, Ella Dickson, said:“Treasury’s own projections put the cost at $10.97 billion. Labour disputes that figure,...
Read more about Better Starts Later: Labour says Treasury's wrong, but won’t show its own numbersPosted in NEWS by NZTU Media | September 29, 2026
The Taxpayers’ Union says Treasury’s latest PREFU shows just how little room there is for another spending blowout, even as parties on the left promise tens of billions of dollars in new spending. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said: “After years of deficits, the books are finally...
Read more about PREFU’s fragile recovery means parties must revisit their spending plansPosted in NEWS by NZTU Media | September 29, 2026
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the latest Treasury forecasts of an OBEGAL surplus by 2028/29, but points out that an operating surplus is not enough to pay down debt.Taxpayers' Union spokesman James Ross said:“The Government will be keen to say it’s back on track...
Read more about No debt paid down this decadePosted in NEWS by NZTU Media | September 29, 2026
Treasury today opened the governments’ books, revealing that the crown’s finances have improved markedly since the Budget forecast in May. However, the Government will still finish this decade in a far more perilous place than it entered it. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said:...
Read more about A step in the right direction, but a long way to goPosted in NEWS by Tory Relf | June 26, 2025
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to urgently raise the age of superannuation eligibility in light of a newly released Treasury briefing warning of deep cuts to core services like health and education unless major spending reforms are undertaken.Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf...
Read more about Act Now or Pay Later: Political Cowardice on Super Age Risks Public ServicesPosted in NEWS by NZTU Media | June 19, 2025
“Today’s Statistics NZ release of GDP growth of 0.8% for the first quarter of 2025 is welcome,” says Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf.“However, recent domestic economic indicators are showing a marked slowdown in the economy, with the BNZ describing the economy as ‘hitting a...
Read more about The economy is growing, but so too are the headwindsPosted in NEWS by NZTU Media | June 4, 2025
The Taxpayers’ Union is questioning why millions more in public money is being dangled in front of Hollywood to bring the next Avatar sequel premiere to Wellington. Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf says: “This is fantasy economics. Who’s actually booking a flight to New Zealand...
Read more about Avatar Spending is Fantasy EconomicsPosted in NEWS by NZTU Media | May 29, 2025
Responding to the announcement of the plan to repeal of Labour’s ‘wellbeing’ provisions in the Public Finance Act, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said:“Finally, the Minister of Finance is free to focus what they can actually control -- balancing the books, bringing down debt, and...
Read more about Goodbye budget vibes, hello real-world valuePosted in NEWS by NZTU Media | May 26, 2025
Responding to the Green Party’s claim that Budget 2025 failed to account for up to $714 million in increased KiwiSaver costs across the public sector, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said:“If there’s a multi-million-dollar hole in the Budget, the answer isn’t to raid Budget 2026,...
Read more about Minister, don't raid Budget 2026, just scrap the KiwiSaver subsidyPosted in NEWS by Jordan Williams | May 22, 2025
I'm just back from the 2025 Budget lock-up, where the team have been pouring through the documents under embargo released by the Government (i.e. the new spending announcements and political ’spin’) and the Treasury (where the real juice is - the state of...
Read more about From the Beehive Lock-up: National deliver another Labour Party Budget