Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
New Zealand Taxpayers' Union - Latest News [Page 10]
Representative Gets $8000 For Not Showing Up To A Meeting In Two Years
Tuesday, 25 February 2025, 2:31 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Reuben’s absence is perfectly in breach of standing orders, but both councils have not bothered to act as they say the future of the committee itself is under review” said Sam Warren, Local Government Campaigns Manager for the Taxpayers’ Union. More >>
Revealed: Wellington’s Corporate Welfare For Event Wages
Tuesday, 25 February 2025, 1:19 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The ‘Living Wage for Events Fund’ allows anyone to apply for ratepayer-funded top-ups, regardless of whether or not the event would turn a profit. More >>
Academics’ Fury Over Science Funding Process Overblown
Monday, 24 February 2025, 2:47 pm | Taxpayers' Union
“It is clear the Minister's decision to cut Marsden funding for humanities and social sciences, along with requiring 50 percent of grants to demonstrate economic benefit, is a win for taxpayers." More >>
Poor Data Privacy A Problem Throughout The Public Sector
Friday, 21 February 2025, 2:30 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The public service has an appallingly lax attitude towards data privacy” said Sam Warren, a spokesman for the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. More >>
Sir Brian Roche Gives A Reality Check On Public Paycheques
Thursday, 20 February 2025, 8:54 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Rewarding time-served with automatic pay hikes subsidises mediocrity, and public sector performance pay is long overdue, says Taxpayers Union Spokesman James Ross. More >>
OCR Slash Signals Time For Pro-growth Tax Reform
Wednesday, 19 February 2025, 2:41 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Commenting on the rapid drop, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross called this “an admission of failure by the Reserve Bank Governor.” More >>
REVEALED: Tauranga Ratepayers Pick Up $5 Million Playground Bill
Wednesday, 19 February 2025, 12:14 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
A breakdown of costs shows $1.67 million was spent on play equipment, $1.1 million on hard landscaping, nearly $640,000 on consulting, engineering, and management costs, $361,000 on safety surfacing, and $150,000 on council staff costs. More >>
Minister Blows Whistle On MBIE’s ‘Consultant Gravy Train’
Tuesday, 18 February 2025, 5:57 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“The multi-million-dollar gravy train has left the station – hopefully never to return” said Sam Warren, a spokesman for the Taxpayers’ Union. “Excessive and costly dependence on external consultants to provide ministries with advice has ... More >>
Taxpayers Need Accountability Over Government Data Leaks
Tuesday, 18 February 2025, 4:55 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“The findings are damning - if public accountability is to mean anything, the Government should be telling Mr Sowden not to bother coming to work tomorrow - not serve out another six weeks fully paid to save face,” said Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James ... More >>
Revealed: Health NZ’s $4 Million Additional Funding For Te Kurahuna ‘change Agents’
Tuesday, 18 February 2025, 1:39 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling for Ministers to end funding for Te Kurahuna programmes and workshop grifters that have received millions in taxpayer funding, despite the Government’s supposed focus on cutting costs. More >>
Unused EV Charger Sell-Off Highlights Wellington Council’s Ineptitude
Monday, 17 February 2025, 10:55 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
While it is in the interests of Wellington ratepayers to sell off this subsidy for the rich, it is unfortunate that it has come to this point. The council should have never spent a penny on this programme, and the $3.4 million spent is a flagrant abuse ... More >>
“Poor Decision-making Making Us Poorer” - Kiwis $12,700 Worse Off Than Treasury Predictions
Friday, 14 February 2025, 2:37 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“The reality is we’re getting poorer. The government this year is leaning heavy on chasing economic growth, which is absolutely the right thing to do.” More >>
REVEALED: Lobby Group Gets $1.2m In Creative NZ Funding
Thursday, 13 February 2025, 4:03 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Taxpayer-funded lobbying is rife with examples across the public sector. But it especially stings when taxpayers’ money is being given to a charity set up to seek private funding, just for it then to use the cash to lobby other bits of government. More >>
“Read The Room, Mayor” – Wellingtonians Want Rates Capping
Monday, 10 February 2025, 5:29 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“Instead of listening to locals, Mayor Whanau has brushed off the poll as fake news. She instead remains committed to driving the city into the ground – literally rating people out of their own homes in the process.” More >>
NEW POLL: Centre-Left Bloc Could Form Government For First Time Since March 2022
Monday, 10 February 2025, 3:09 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The poll, conducted between 02 and 04 February, shows National up 2.3 points to 31.9 percent, while Labour has risen 0.4 points from last month to 31.3 percent. More >>
Budget 2025 Time For Govt To Put Money Where Its Mouth Is
Wednesday, 5 February 2025, 6:55 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Nicola Willis’ plans for corporate tax reform need to have more meat than the paltry income ‘tax relief’ delivered last year, which failed to even account for bracket creep. More >>
Ratepayer-funded Influencer Holidays A ‘Waste Of Money’
Tuesday, 4 February 2025, 5:49 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“Businesses aren’t struggling due to a lack of influencers, but they are struggling with crippling rate rises, year-on year." More >>
Watts His Job Again? Climate Change Minister Can’t Be Bothered Meeting Farmers
Tuesday, 4 February 2025, 3:25 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman, James Ross, said “What is Simon Watts’ job? Because if it’s taking a balanced approach to stakeholders, he’s not doing it.” More >>
DIA Caught Wasting $950k Workshopping Instead Of Working
Monday, 3 February 2025, 3:19 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Not long after news broke of DIA wasting more than sixty grand on courage lessons for staff, we learn they’ve chucked hundreds of thousands at yet another workshop provider no-one’s ever heard of. This time to become change agents, Taxpayers’ ... More >>
“Race To The Bottom” - Dunedin Council’s $4.4 Million Funding Boost For Events
Friday, 31 January 2025, 3:24 pm | Taxpayers' Union
“It’s an unfortunate lesson in corporate welfare,” said Sam Warren, Local Government Campaigns Manager for the Taxpayers’ Union. More >>
