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New Zealand Taxpayers' Union

85 posts | 4 images

Joined May 2022
4,634 profile views
News Images
Government 21 Jun 2025
PM's intervention to kill Simon Watts' Ute Tax 2.0 welcomed by taxpayers

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Prime Minister’s intervention to rule out the Inland Revenue Department’s proposal to apply Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) to all utes worth $80,000 or more and other work vehicles — a plan directed by Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.

441 views

Government 20 Jun 2025
Minister Watts Silent Again as Taxpayer Data-Grab Replaces Census

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming IRD and Statistics NZ after the Government announced it’s scrapping the Census and replacing it with a mass data-harvest from across government departments without public consent.

500 views

Government 19 Jun 2025
Still No Ticket to Ride: Time's Up for Motu Move Money Pit

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling for the complete scrapping of the “Motu Move” National Ticketing Solution following confirmation that the project is ‘not on track’ and under external review.

232 views

Politics 18 Jun 2025
Green Party's Fiscal Fantasy Would Bankrupt New Zealand

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the Green Party’s so-called “Fiscal Strategy 2025” as reckless and would saddle New Zealanders with crippling debt, soaring taxes, and zero accountability.

220 views

Conservation 17 Jun 2025
Taxpayers Slugged for $400k Boutique Snails

The Taxpayers’ Union has revealed through an Official Information Act request that the Department of Conservation (DOC) has spent $411,875 on the endangered southern Powelliphanta augusta snails.

171 views

Government 17 Jun 2025
REVEALED: MBIE's $137k iPhone Fiasco

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act response that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has lost or had stolen 280 taxpayer-funded iPhones and iPads over the last three financial years.

166 views

Government 15 Jun 2025
REVEALED: Public Service Grows. More Bureaucrats, More Waste

The latest Public Service Commission workforce data shows an uptick in public service employees since December 2024.

173 views

Government 9 Jun 2025
$23 Million IT Meltdown: Internal Affairs Blows Millions on Another Digital Disaster

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the Department of Internal Affairs for wasting nearly $23 million of taxpayer money on a failed IT upgrade for the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry — a project that’s now been abandoned with nothing to show for it.

314 views

Government 9 Jun 2025
Tick Tock: Taxpayers' Union Refreshes Debt Clock to Show Full Government Borrowing

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has today updated its online Debt Clock to reflect Total Crown Borrowings, replacing the previously used measure of Net Core Crown Debt.

265 views

Council 28 May 2025
Wellington consultants more than doubles in five years: "The opposite of what Council needs to do."

WELLINGTON CITY — Responding to news that Wellington City Council’s consultant costs have more than doubled since 2020, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman Sam Warren said: “This is incredibly insulting as a 12.0 percent rates increases has just been announced—on top of last year’s 16.9 percent hike.

380 views

Government 23 May 2025
Nicola Willis' fudge-it 'growth' budget

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the Government’s lack of ambition when it comes to promoting growth, highlighted by the failure to implement full expensing of capital expenditure.

232 views

Government 23 May 2025
'We're going to need a bigger debt clock' – no plan for tackling runaway debt

Commenting on Budget 2025’s failure to restrain New Zealand’s runaway Government debt, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said: “Debt is increasing every single year over the forecast period in Budget 2025, reaching $108,700 per household by 2029.

231 views

Government 23 May 2025
Parents, not the nanny state, should be responsible for school leavers

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the decision to limit access for 18 and 19 year olds who are not working or in education to Jobseeker Support and Emergency Benefit, but is questioning why this change isn’t being implemented until July 2027.

201 views

Council 23 May 2025
Local Councils Get a Bailout in Budget 2025

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the Government’s decision to expand the rates relief regime for SuperGold cardholders, describing it as a ‘bailout for wasteful councils’.

254 views

Government 23 May 2025
The Fudge Formerly Known as the Growth Budget

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Budget 2025 as a waste of time and hype, with its team of analysts in this year’s Budget left asking ‘is that it?’ "Nicola Willis has failed,” says Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman Jordan Williams.

186 views

Government 15 May 2025
REVEALED: The 14-Year Temp Worker: IRD's $21 Million Long-Term Consultant Spend Exposed

The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union can reveal, through an Official Information Act response 12 contractors have been continuously engaged by IRD for more than five years, costing taxpayers a total of $20.8 million over just the past five years.

342 views

Health 15 May 2025
Health NZ's $2.75m restructure consultant fees just the tip of the iceberg

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is joining the Public Service Association in slamming  Health New Zealand for blowing nearly $2.75 million on consultants  to “manage restructures”.

291 views

Deaths 3 May 2025
"A Provocateur for Liberty": Taxpayers' Union Mourns the Passing of Sir Robert Jones

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union marks the passing of Sir Robert Jones with sincere sadness and gratitude for a life lived without fear or filter, in relentless pursuit of free thought and freer markets.

329 views

Government 1 May 2025
Cuts? Give us a break – new spending is still going up

Responding to the New Zealand Herald’s front-page coverage of Finance Minister Nicola Willis’s pre-Budget speech, Taxpayers’ Union Communications Officer, Alex Emes, said: “Nicola Willis has taken a step in the right direction – but let’s not kid ourselves.

364 views

Transport 1 May 2025
"Another tax" – Taxpayers' Union demands clarity on Congestion Charging, equivalent RUCs to be cut

The Land Transport Management (Time of Use Charging) Amendment Bill has drawn criticism from several Tauranga Councillors, objecting that revenue could be invested elsewhere.

860 views

Council 28 Apr 2025
Dunedin cannot afford another white elephant: $92 million landfill development must be deferred

DUNEDIN — The Dunedin City Council has come under fire for its $92.4 million development of Smooth Hill landfill—at risk of blowing out to become ‘another white elephant’.

341 views

Government 28 Apr 2025
REVEALED: $310k Spent on Cars for Ex-PMs

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through a Official Information Act request that the total cost through the Members of Parliament (Former Prime Ministers Travel Services) Determination 2017, that former Prime Ministers car entitlements of $296,009.87 in purchases and $14,061.99 in fuel and maintenance.

347 views

Government 23 Apr 2025
Health CEO Paid More Than the PM — Then Got a Golden Handshake

On the news Health NZ paid for outgoing Chief Executive Margie Apa to attend a governance course — after she’d already resigned.

386 views

Government 17 Apr 2025
Reserve Bank's 'Funding Cut' is Actually a Massive Increase

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling out spin over the Reserve Bank’s newly signed five-year funding agreement, warning that despite talk of “funding reductions”, the deal still locks in a major increase compared to the previous period.

326 views

Council 15 Apr 2025
$5.2 million consultant spend unacceptable as cost blowouts grow

INVERCARGILL — The Taxpayers’ Union has today slammed the $5.2 million spend on consultants by Invercargill City Council for the Te Unua Museum of Southland, as part of the wider $87 million dollar ‘Project 1225’ development.

345 views

Economy 10 Apr 2025
OCR cut, but New Zealand far from out of the woods

Responding to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's decision to cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25bp to 3.50%.

401 views

Government 10 Apr 2025
Nicola Willis' new procurement rules won't pull wool over taxpayers' eyes

The Taxpayers’ Union is responding to the Government latest supposed “Going for Growth” announcement, which will restrict Government departments and agencies to only using New Zealand wool.

379 views

Government 9 Apr 2025
Green gravy train starting to derail — but the job's not done

On the news of the Government’s decision to wind down the New Zealand Green Investment Finance Ltd (NZGIF), which has cost taxpayers $400 million.

413 views

Defence 8 Apr 2025
If the Government wants to spend up on defence, show us the savings

Responding to the PM’s latest claims around the affordability of the latest defence spending plans, the Taxpayers’ Union is wondering where the recently announced 12 billion dollars of defence spending is coming from.

332 views

Export 3 Apr 2025
Trump Imposes Ten Percent Tariff on New Zealand Exports

Today, President Trump imposed a ten-percent tariff on New Zealand exports to the United States, with the possibility of larger tariffs on agricultural products in the near future.

389 views

Government 25 Mar 2025
RMA reform plans are a win for common sense consenting

The Government’s announcement today of legislation to finally repeal and replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) is a long-overdue, much-needed win for New Zealand’s productivity.

393 views

Council 24 Mar 2025
Wellington Council's $21,000 Hīkoi Portaloo Flush-Fund

WELLINGTON CITY — The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request that Wellington City Council flushed $21,702 (exc.

412 views

Council 20 Mar 2025
'Another domino falls'—district council ditches left-wing Local Government NZ

BAY OF PLENTY — Western Bay of Plenty District Council has today voted to leave Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) with one councillor saying it has swung ‘so far left’ that it no longer represented local views.

423 views

Government 10 Mar 2025
Going for Growth: Taxpayers' Union urges Government to adopt Full Capital Expensing in new briefing paper

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is today launching the first in a series of briefing papers aimed at tackling the country’s long-standing under-capitalisation and low productivity.

426 views

Council 4 Mar 2025
'A council without priorities' - Hastings Council's embarrassing dams failure

HASTINGS — A report released by the Ombudsman has found Hastings District Council failed to properly maintain its streams and damns prior to Cyclone Gabrielle despite concerns raised during 2016 and 2021 reviews.

457 views

Council 4 Mar 2025
Dunedin water bills doubling 'a result of years of underinvestment'

DUNEDIN — Dunedin City Council argues local water bills doubling ‘inevitable’ over the next 10-years as they seek consultation on a replacement for its Three Waters department.

386 views

Government 19 Feb 2025
Taxpayers need accountability over Government data leaks

The Taxpayers’ Union says that the Stats NZ Chief Executive, Mark Sowden, should be sacked, not allowed to quietly leave at the end of his term following the findings of an inquiry into data breaches released by the Public Service Commission today.

465 views

Government 22 Jan 2025
REVEALED: High-flying Governor-General rolling out the Royal treatment

The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, has spent $23,082.11 on London Heathrow Airport VIP facilitation charges since 2022.

754 views

Government 20 Jan 2025
Taxpayers' Union welcome Govt reshuffle – looks forward to working with new Ministry to deliver growth & more efficient local govt

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Government's new focus on economic growth and the re-energised Economic Development Portfolio as Economic Growth held by one of the most senior Ministers.

699 views

Council 4 Dec 2024
'Should come with an R-rating' - Council's $400k logo refresh raises eyebrows

Waitaki District Council is defending its new logo following complaints from the public it more closely resembles certain aspects of the human anatomy.

349 views

Council 29 Nov 2024
'$254k Blunder' Dunedin Chief Executive must go for costly behaviour

Allegations of poor behaviour from Dunedin City Council’s Chief Executive, Sandy Graham, have cost ratepayers more than $250,000 in both legal fees and an investigative report that will not be released to the public.

377 views

Politics 20 Nov 2024
Taxpayer-funded Hīkoi organiser shows Parliament's budget a political slush fund

With one of the lead organisers of Hīkoi - Eru Kapa-Kingi - being a paid Parliamentary staffer working for Te Pāti Māori, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said “if taxpayer money is being spent, we need to see the receipts.” “Parliamentary budgets are for helping constituents, not political campaigning.

398 views

Politics 4 Nov 2024
NEW CAMPAIGN: No more hiding for MPs' expenses

The Taxpayers’ Union is launching a major campaign for Kiwis to demand MPs’ expenses no longer enjoy a special carve out from the Official Information Act.

370 views

Politics 31 Oct 2024
Is a Waikato Medical School Sensible?

HAMILTON — Today’s Otago Daily Times reports that the government was advised of serious concerns about Waikato University’s ability to fund its contribution to the new medical school and with the assumptions used in the cost-benefit analysis that had been prepared.

444 views

Defence 8 Oct 2024
Public Demands Transparency on the Sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui

The New Zealand Defence Force-led inquiry to determine the cause of the HMNZS Manawanui’s sinking may be kept secret from the public.

515 views

Council 4 Oct 2024
Wellington can't afford even more debt

WELLINGTON CITY — Wellington City Council officials have provided figures suggesting that the council’s debt limit could triple if it does not sell its stake in Wellington International Airport.

432 views

Politics 4 Oct 2024
Adrian Orr's digital cash project proves distracting for the Reserve Bank, costly for taxpayers

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through the Official Information Act that the Reserve Bank has spent more than $2 million on its digital cash programme so far. The ongoing project explores the introduction of an electronic currency, and has an approved total budget of $4.7 million.

406 views

Council 30 Sep 2024
Stratford's new $350k crossings: Hated by locals, costly to taxpayers

STRATFORD — The Taxpayers Union can reveal through the LGOIMA that Stratford District Council has received $344,558 for two new crossings from NZTA – with $96,230 spent on traffic management alone, and further work is required, the overall cost is set to rise.

473 views

Politics 25 Sep 2024
Andrew Coster has lost the plot

Political pundits across the country spat out their coffee this morning upon turning to the NZ Herald's front page splash that Andrew Coster "speaks out on being dragged into political debate".

414 views

Government 18 Sep 2024
Taxpayers' Union launches tool for taxpayers to find out whether their personal data has been exposed in IRD data leak

The Taxpayers’ Union has launched an online Privacy Act Request tool at www.IRDLeak.nz for taxpayers to find out whether their private information has been handed over to social media platforms by the Inland Revenue Department.

955 views

Media 11 Apr 2024
New Zealanders oppose taxpayer-funded bailouts for private media companies

A Taxpayers’ Union – Curia Poll has revealed that 55% of New Zealanders are opposed to taxpayer money being used to fund struggling private media companies, with just 29% in support.

780 views

Fire 9 Apr 2024
REPORT: Fire and Emergency levy increase unjustified, performance review needed

The Taxpayers’ Union is today releasing a report highlighting the significant failure of Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to realise the expected efficiency gains following the 2017 mega-merger of fire services.

628 views

Politics 5 Apr 2024
Unelected commissioners need to learn their place

TAURANGA — In response to the Tauranga City Council Commission Chair's warning against returning to elected councillors, the Taxpayers' Union spokesperson, Alex Murphy, defended democracy and accused the unelected officials of denying ratepayers their rightful say.

669 views

Deaths 21 Feb 2024
Taxpayers' Union pays tribute to Efeso Collins

Commenting on the news of the death of Green MP, Efeso Collins, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams said: “While we may have had different politics, Efeso was always a councillor I - and the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance - could call and have a constructive conversation with.

687 views

Transport 19 Feb 2024
NZTA must be clearer with speed and traffic camera plans

Comment on NZTA's proposal to expand the stock of its road safety cameras from 150 to potentially 800 over the next ten years.

630 views

Government 8 Jan 2024
Otago Uni's Lack of Transparency Reveals Much Deeper Problem

Responding to the Chief Ombudsman's comments that the University of Otago initially refusing to release information regarding the cost of commissioning a sculpture was unjustified, Taxpayers' Union Policy Adviser, James Ross, says.

604 views

Aid 5 Jan 2024
New Zealand Sending Millions in Foreign Aid to Countries with Space and Nuclear Programmes

The Taxpayers’ Union is questioning why New Zealand taxpayers are forking out millions of dollars in foreign aid to countries that have state-sponsored space and nuclear weapons programmes.

773 views

Government 16 Dec 2023
DoC Director-General Gifted $5,159 in Luxury Items Upon Departure

The Taxpayers’ Union expresses deep concern over revelations that Department of Conservation (DoC) spent $5,159 on retirement gifts for its former director-general, Lou Sanson.

620 views

Politics 6 Dec 2023
Human Rights Commission demonstrate how they've lost their way

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming today’s release by the so-called Human Rights Commission of a previously secret work programme to undermine New Zealander’s freedom of speech online.

667 views

Government 6 Oct 2023
New Taxpayers' Union report shows the public sector is living far beyond its means

The new 2023 Public Sector Wage Gap Report from the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union investigating workforce differences between the public and private sector demonstrates that, while average public sector wages have stagnated recently, the growth in the number of government employees continues to burden the taxpayer, particularly across ministries and Core Crown departments, where back-office appointments have been prioritized over the front line.

784 views

Gaming 19 May 2023
Grant's gaming gamble is corporate welfare for well connected friends

The Taxpayers’ Union has condemned the Government’s decision to allocate $160 million in rebates to the gaming sector over the next four years – calling it ‘corporate welfare’.

New Zealand Budget 2023

731 views

Politics 19 May 2023
Government is greenwashing: $182.5 million more in climate subsidies that won't reduce net emissions by a single gram

The Taxpayers' Union is calling out Government Greenwashing in its justification of spending at least $182.5 million of taxpayer dollars over the next four years on environmental subsidies that will fail to reduce net emissions.

New Zealand Budget 2023

553 views

Politics 19 May 2023
So much for no new taxes. Government hikes trustee tax rates

The Taxpayers’ Union has condemned the Government’s announcement that it will increase the trustee tax rate to 39 cents in the dollar to align it with the highest personal income tax rate.

New Zealand Budget 2023

487 views

Economy 19 May 2023
Cost of living be damned! Fuel tax hike from July will hit lower income and rural New Zealanders hardest

The Taxpayers’ Union has slammed the Government’s decision to hike fuel taxes from July.

New Zealand Budget 2023

585 views

Economy 19 May 2023
Two tax hikes, and an LED light bulb. Nothing for middle New Zealand in this budget

Commenting on today’s budget announcement, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Callum Purves, said: “With the exception of rolling out free ECE to two years and dropping prescription co-payments, there is almost nothing that the average taxpayer receives from today, except higher fuel taxes and a promise to increase trustee taxes next year.

New Zealand Budget 2023

605 views

Politics 15 May 2023
Phillip Mills gets the hypocrite of the week award

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Phillip Mills – of Les Mills – to pay back the $4.5 million his company took in wage subsidies before spouting off about how much he wants to, he says, pay more to the Government.

Screenshot from MBIE's wage subsidy online employer database

653 views

Politics 2 May 2023
Tax hike to fund Teslas a kick in the guts to the provinces recovering from flooding

In the middle of a cost of living crisis, today’s move to hike the taxes on utes and other, so-called, gas guzzler vehicles is a kick in the guts to provincial and rural communities who already have it tough post-cyclone Gabrielle, says the Taxpayers’ Union.

617 views

Politics 25 Apr 2023
NEW POLL: Two thirds of Kiwis back income tax bracket indexation

A Taxpayers' Union – Curia undertaken earlier this month poll shows that 65% of New Zealanders favour automatically increasing income tax thresholds in line with inflation as is already the case for welfare benefits.

611 views

Environment 18 Apr 2023
Taxpayers should be hopping mad at $153,000 kill cost per wallaby in Otago

OTAGO — The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that taxpayers and Otago Regional Council ratepayers have forked out $2.76 million and more than 26,000 hours of work for a wallaby control programme that killed just 18 wallabies.

826 views

Politics 5 Apr 2023
MPs must not be excluded from Official Information Act reform

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to reform the Official Information Act (OIA) to include the Parliamentary Service as an organisation covered by the Act.

650 views

Politics 16 Mar 2023
Bigger doesn't mean better – Canterbury and Waikato Supercities are a bad idea

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union says that proposals from Hamilton and Christchurch City Councils to create new supercities are a bad idea that would increase costs for ratepayers, undermine local control and reduce democratic accountability.

575 views

Politics 25 Jan 2023
How Hipkins can easily Scrap Three Waters

With the vast majority of Kiwis seeing Three Waters for what it is – Higher water costs, more bureaucracy, no local control, and less democracy – Mr Hipkins should scrap it, says the Taxpayers’ Union.

632 views

Politics 23 Jan 2023
Clear message from Snap Poll: Hipkins must Scrap Three Waters for Labour to be competitive

The Taxpayers’ Union is congratulating incoming Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, and says his first move should be to remove the electoral handbrakes revealed in the Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Snap Poll released this morning.

781 views

Politics 19 Jan 2023
There is such thing as a free lunch & taxpayers are funding it

Official Information Act requests have revealed that in the 2021/22 financial year the Department of Internal Affairs and the Department of Conservation spent $406,064 and $391,000 on catering respectively.

623 views

Politics 17 Jan 2023
Ministry of Education needs to take responsibility for empty building debacle

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Ministry of Education to take responsibility for the predicament it finds itself in with its now empty office continuing to rack up millions in taxpayer dollars.

627 views

Film 10 May 2022
Film Commission's Oscars jaunt costs taxpayers $58,000

Two New Zealand Film Commission officials spent $58,188 on a 10-day excursion to Los Angeles for the Oscars, reveals the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union.

788 views

Media 7 May 2022
Poll reveals distrust of taxpayer-funded media

Most New Zealanders believe that government funding for private media companies undermines media independence, reveals a new poll commissioned by the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union.

808 views