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New Zealand Taxpayers' Union - Latest News [Page 21]
Hamilton City Council Should Target The Pencil Pushers Before Cutting Maintenance
Tuesday, 28 November 2023, 12:57 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Responding to reports on Hamilton City Council’s cost-cutting measures ahead of threats of massive rates rises, with notable reductions to spending on road maintenance, landscaping and storm water drain cleaning, Connor Molloy, Campaigns Manager at the ... More >>
National Party U-Turn Will See Kiwi Families Punished By Stealth Tax Hikes
Tuesday, 28 November 2023, 10:42 am | Taxpayers' Union
The National Party’s admittedly soft touch promise to index income tax brackets to inflation every three years has failed to make it into either of their coalition agreements. Indexation would ensure that working New Zealanders keep paying the same ... More >>
Christchurch Ratepayers Ought To Be Appalled By Council Overspend At Three Waters Department
Monday, 27 November 2023, 4:06 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Responding to news that Christchurch City Council’s Three Waters department has overspent by $6.5 million on staffing positions since July of 2019, while the council is warning of double-digit rates hikes in the next Long-Term Plan, Taxpayers' Union ... More >>
Coalition Agreements Reflect Election Promises - Now To Delivery
Friday, 24 November 2023, 11:24 am | Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming today’s Coalition Agreements as reflective of what kiwis voted for last month, and an endorsement for reform. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said: “If we have learned anything from the ... More >>
Environment Canterbury Decides To Retain Democratically Unaccountable Councillors
Friday, 24 November 2023, 9:21 am | Taxpayers' Union
Regional council Environment Canterbury has voted against introducing Māori wards for the 2025 elections. Instead, they have opted to retain the current system featuring two unelected appointed councillors with full voting rights. Responding to this, ... More >>
Christchurch Council Won’t Reveal Whether It’s Covering Up Failures At Ratepayers’ Expense
Thursday, 23 November 2023, 12:40 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Christchurch Chief Executive Dawn Baxendale is leaving her role without working a contractual 6-month notice period. This follows a period of poor performance marked by rock-bottom resident satisfaction and high staff turnover. A UK Government-ordered ... More >>
New Zealand’s Dire Productivity Shows Need For Fresh Thinking
Thursday, 23 November 2023, 10:45 am | Taxpayers' Union
Yesterday, the UK announced that it would be making changes which allow businesses to deduct capital investment in plant and machinery investment against their corporate tax bill permanent. Research by the Centre for Policy Studies suggests this will ... More >>
RNZ Chief Executive Should Be Taking A Pay Cut, Not A Massive Bonus
Wednesday, 22 November 2023, 3:44 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
According to RNZ’s latest annual report , Chief Executive, Paul Thompson, received a $65,538 bonus and a $13,628 pay rise for the 2022/23 financial year despite RNZ failing to meet its key performance targets and running an operating deficit of $739,000. ... More >>
Wellington Council Officials Must Face Consequences For Concealing Information
Tuesday, 21 November 2023, 1:42 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Responding to revelations that Wellington City Council officials withheld an in-depth KPMG report into Wellington’s financial positions for months, giving councillors just 2 days to review the document before the Long-Term Plan meeting, Taxpayers’ ... More >>
All Flake And No Filling – Taxpayers’ Union Finds Mt. Messenger ‘Pieday Friday’ Scheme Half-Baked
Tuesday, 21 November 2023, 10:16 am | Taxpayers' Union
Responding to reports that Waka Kotahi is estimated to be spending up to $500,000 on a ‘Pieday Friday’ scheme for workers on the Mount Messenger Bypass, Connor Molloy, Campaigns Manager at the Taxpayers’ Union, says: “Waka Kotahi is yet ... More >>
Rau Paenga Needs To Be Upfront With Documents, Not Play Cloak-and-Dagger With Christchurch Residents
Monday, 20 November 2023, 10:44 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Responding to news that crown infrastructure delivery agency, Rau Paenga, is yet again opposing the release of documents concerning their legal battles over the money pit Metro sports centre project in Christchurch, Connor Molloy, Campaigns Manager ... More >>
Brand Over Budget: Hastings Council's $70,000 Logo Splurge
Friday, 17 November 2023, 12:03 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers' Union can reveal that the Hastings District Council has spent over $70,000 on its recent rebranding initiative . A staggering $46,512 was allocated to "Strategy & Creative" for the logo's design and development, ... More >>
Kāpiti Coast Councillors Need Reminding What Democracy Looks Like
Thursday, 16 November 2023, 10:33 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Responding to Kāpiti Coast District Council’s plans to ignore the results of a local consultation and push through the creation of a Māori ward regardless, Taxpayers’ Union Policy Adviser, James Ross, said: “Democracy is a fragile thing, and it is ... More >>
All Revved Up With No Trucks To Show: Hydrogen Project Gaslights Taxpayers
Thursday, 16 November 2023, 10:01 am | Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers' Union can reveal that a $6 million taxpayer-funded hydrogen truck initiative has failed to deliver a single truck , despite promises that they would be on the road by 2022. Oliver Bryan, Investigations Coordinator at the Taxpayers’ ... More >>
Transparency Test Failed: Key Ministries Yet To Embrace Ombudsman's Tool
Wednesday, 15 November 2023, 3:00 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Taxpayers’ Union OIA's reveal that despite the Chief Ombudsman's introduction of a self-assessment tool in July, aimed at enhancing public sector transparency and adherence to official information protocols, prominent ministries and agencies ... More >>
Taxpayers’ Union Calls For Prosecution Of Person Who Played Campaign Song At Polling Booth
Wednesday, 15 November 2023, 1:48 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Electoral Commission to prosecute and fine the individual or organisation responsible for playing Te Pāti Māori’s campaign song at a polling booth on Election Day under s 197 of the Electoral Act 1993. Taxpayers’ ... More >>
Western Bay Of Plenty Land Grab Proposal An Affront To The Right To Property
Tuesday, 14 November 2023, 3:21 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
"The Taxpayers' Union is slamming the Western Bay of Plenty District Council's suggestion that the Government forcefully take ownership of private property from its residents without compensation and lease it back to them as part of a climate ... More >>
Further Headaches For Floundering Public Health System Demonstrate The Failures Of Centralisation
Monday, 13 November 2023, 10:58 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Responding to two different reports published in the last week lambasting the struggles that the new Public Health Authority and National Public Health Service (Te Whatu Ora) are experiencing daily, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, ... More >>
Wellington City Council Wants Its Pound Of Flesh From Ratepayers
Monday, 13 November 2023, 10:07 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Responding to leaked sources claiming Wellington residents could face an annual rates rise of up to 20%, Taxpayers’ Union Policy Adviser, James Ross, said: “Wellington City Council rates have already risen by almost 40% in just three short years, and ... More >>
NEW POLL: National/ACT/NZ First Hold Governing Position, Luxon Shoots Ahead To Become Easily The Preferred PM
Thursday, 9 November 2023, 2:09 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
National is down 1 point to 37% and Labour is up 1 point to 28% when compared with the election result. ACT is down 1 point to 8%, the Greens are up 2 points to 14% and NZ First remains unchanged on 6%. The smaller parties are the Māori Party on ... More >>
