Hi,
This week, your humble Taxpayers' Union exposed more taxpayer funded anti-government environmental lobbyists, the $94,000 vanity project for Rotorua's Mayor, and why we're updating the Debt Clock.Â
EXPOSED: Department of Conservation funding eco-lobbyists to... fight the Government? đłâ
A few months ago, our Investigations Coordinator, Rhys, emailed supporters to expose the funding received from the Ministry for the Environment to eco-activist organisations like the Environmental Defence Society and Forest & Bird.Â
It turns out MfE isn't the only Government agency funding the Environmental Defence Society, they have also received $157,000 from the Department of Conservation â on top of the $377,743 of taxpayer funding it already raked in from the Ministry for the Environment
Thatâs more than half a million dollars in taxpayer cash for a group whose main output is lobbying and legal action against government policy.
How is it that you pay your taxes, for government bureaucrats to use, to give activist groups to lobby the government? It's not on.
If the Environment Defence Society had genuine public backing, it wouldnât need taxpayer funding.
This isnât conservation â itâs backdoor political activism funded by taxpayers. And with 2,533 staff at DOC, why are they also paying activist groups?
And let's be frank, reports churned out by groups like EDS canât be treated as impartial when theyâre funded by the same agencies that they also hold to account. Itâs an echo chamber activism love-in, paid for by the taxpayer.
We say it's time to stop taxpayer funding for political lobbyists â left, right, or green.
Rotoruaâs $94,000 Mayoral Vanity Project đđ
From taxpayer funded lobbyists to ratepayer funded adverts of 'influencers' self-promoting politicians. This week, our team uncovered that Rotorua ratepayers just copped a bill for a $94,000 TV ad starring [checks notes] their Mayor Tania Tapsell.
The so-called âRobe Tripâ campaign, to encourage tourists to wear their robes while visiting Rotorua's hot pools, cost $42,784 to produce and another $51,201 to air through the Council's tourism arm, RotoruaNZ.
While the Council claims âno general ratesâ were used, the reality is grim: the cost was via targeted rates (somehow that makes it better đ). We can see from the documents that it went through 15 rounds of meetings just to get Mayor Tapsell some airtime.
Infrastructure is crumbling. Crime is rising. But Rotoruaâs leadership thinks undressing the Mayor â complete with robes and slow-mo â to put her on the telly should be the focus.
Call us prudes, but here at the Taxpayers' Union, we think politicians should always keep their clothes on...
This campaign might be dressed in a robe, but itâs ratepayer exploitation, plain and simple.
Taxpayer Hero - Minister Brown on State-Owned Enterprises! đ„
This week, Minister Simeon Brown asked the tough questions about underperforming State-Owned Enterprises like NZ Post and PÄmu (what Landcorp is now calling itself).Â
That this is even news shows how far we've come in accepting dumb, rudderless, underperformance in Wellington.
If a household owned a bunch of money-draining assets, theyâd rightly ask whether itâs time to improve them or sell. Those who insist on the Government holding on to commercial duds that canât turn a profit should put their money where their mouth is.
Take, for example, NZ Post. During the COVID lockdowns, logistics and courier company profits skyrocketed â while NZ Post needed bailouts!! Something is wrong here...
Each Kiwi household's $275,000 share of government assets costs us money, instead of making a profit. Thatâs more than $570 billion in state-owned assets failing to pull their weight.
Past asset sales worked: better services, less debt, and stronger performance. Itâs time to stop subsidising failure.Â
Minister Brownâs words are a good start. Now letâs see some action. Sell the dead weight, keep the performing enterprises, and get taxpayers a return on what they own.
Why Weâve Given the National Debt Clock a Serious Tune-Up âïž
Big news: our New Zealand Debt Clock just got a makeover, and no, itâs not Botox, itâs Total Crown Borrowings.
The traditional measure of government debt â known as "Core Crown Debt" â is starting to paint a misleading picture due to more and more debt being allowed to incur in the non-core Crown balance sheet.
Our economic boffins have laid out all the reasoning here.
Cutting through the smoke and mirrors đȘ
The new measure more closely links to what the Government actually pays in interest, and it means every dollar of government debt, no matter which branch racks it up, is now front and centre for all to see.
And what a number it is. Treasuryâs Budget 2025 papers project debt rising from $250.9 billion this year to $354.2 billion by 2029. Thatâs more than $100 billion more or $49,160 per household. Youâll need a pretty generous Afterpay plan to cover that.
This change isnât just cosmetic â itâs critical. Interest doesnât care who borrowed the money. Whether itâs a Minister or a Housing Agency doing the borrowing, youâre still footing the bill.
It may sting, but itâs the truth. And frankly, itâs about time someone gave the numbers a little interest.
Tick Tock, Tock TockâŠÂ â°
Taxpayers' Union @ National Fieldays - come and meet the team! đźđ
Are you heading to National Fieldays at Mystery Creek this year? We'll be in the rural living marquee (RM52), come and say hello and meet the team!
Taxpayer Talk: Hon Casey Costello on her first 18 months in Parliament
Former Taxpayers' Union Chair - and current Minister and New Zealand First MP - Casey Costello joins Jordan to discuss her experience as a new MP, her ministerial briefs on health, organised crime and anti-smoking), and why it's important for New Zealanders to look beyond the headlines.
One more thing...
Unlike the most pressure groups â like the so-called Environmental Defence Society đ â the Taxpayers' Union doesn't take funding from the Government/taxpayers.
We remain 100 percent independent with our work reliant on supporters like you chipping-in to keep the lights on.
If you agree with our mission of Lower Taxes, Less Waste, More Transparency, please consider joining as a member (from just $25) or making a secure and confidential donation.
Thanks for making the work possible.
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