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New Zealand Taxpayers' Union - Latest News [Page 70]
Plenty For Special Interest Groups In Bumper Budget
Friday, 15 May 2020, 11:16 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers’ Union is concerned that parts of the 2020 Budget suggest this years’ understandably rushed process may have been captured by certain sector interest groups. Union spokesperson Jordan Williams said “There is plenty of evidence of interest ... More >>
Record Re-election Fund Is Provincial Growth Fund On Steroids
Thursday, 14 May 2020, 3:47 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund is a slush fund that is already being used for political purposes, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “The $50 billion fund – $27,000 per ... More >>
Recovery Fund Must Pay For Tax Cuts
Thursday, 14 May 2020, 2:46 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Economic recovery will only be secured if the remaining $20–24 billion in the recovery fund is well spent, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “The Government’s economic plan ... More >>
Snail-mail Subsidy An Insult To Taxpayers
Thursday, 14 May 2020, 2:44 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
If mail volumes are rapidly declining, the solution is to make NZ Post smaller, says the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says “There is an incredible irony that just as the global economy is demonstrating ... More >>
Correction: $727,000 Spend On Face Recognition Was Separate To Clearview Initiative
Thursday, 14 May 2020, 10:04 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
In a correction to a statement released yesterday , New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams confirms: “It’s now our understanding that the $727,000 NZ Police spent on a facial recognition initiative is separate to the Clearview initiative ... More >>
National Party All Talk, No Action On Rates Relief
Thursday, 14 May 2020, 7:04 am | Taxpayers' Union
Despite calls from the National Party leader for Councils not to increase the rates burden, the National Party voted with the Government tonight not to support an SOP proposed by Jami-Lee Ross to enforce rates freezes on local government. Slamming ... More >>
Police Spend Three-quarters Of A Million On Secret Facial-recognition Trial
Thursday, 14 May 2020, 6:58 am | Taxpayers' Union
After a six-month wait and intervention by the Ombudsman, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal the cost of a Police trial that scraped New Zealanders' details from social media. The since-abandoned — and until yesterday, secret — facial ... More >>
With Light Rail On Hold, Fuel Tax Hike Should Be Shelved
Wednesday, 13 May 2020, 6:31 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is calling on the Transport Minister to shelve July's scheduled fuel tax hike, considering the light rail it was meant to fund has now been put "on hold" Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: "Auckland ... More >>
Cost Of RNZ's Misleading Campaign Adds Salt To Taxpayer Wounds
Wednesday, 13 May 2020, 4:57 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Responding to reports that RNZ spent $107,500 on an advertising campaign that falsely suggested that audiences didn't pay for RNZ content, New Zealand Taxpayers' Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: "It's disgraceful that someone on the average ... More >>
Budget Lockout: Economists, Unions Should Be Invited Under Alert Level 2 Rules
Thursday, 7 May 2020, 12:22 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
"Assuming soon-to-be announced Alert Level 2 rules permit medium-sized indoor gatherings of people, then restricting Budget lockup attendance to Press Gallery journalists is unnecessary," says New Zealand Taxpayers' Union spokesman Louis ... More >>
Finance Minister's Attempt To Dominate Budget Messaging Is Disgraceful
Wednesday, 6 May 2020, 6:05 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Responding to the Minister of Finance's decision to limit the pre-Budget briefing to members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, New Zealand Taxpayers' Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: "We knew this year's Budget briefing wouldn't be a typical ... More >>
Axing RIAs Will Lead To Costly Mistakes
Tuesday, 5 May 2020, 3:18 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is calling on the Government to reverse its decision to suspend Regulatory Impact Assessments for COVID-19-related proposals. Taxpayers' Union spokesperson Islay Aitchison says, "RIAs are some of the most critical ... More >>
National Party’s Business Package, More Targeted, Fairer For Taxpayers
Tuesday, 5 May 2020, 2:22 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Responding to the release of the National Party’s alternative business support package, the Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said: “We weren’t given a heads up on the contents of the package, but at first glance, it appears ... More >>
Not Another Cent For Absent CEO
Tuesday, 5 May 2020, 1:36 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling for Infrastructure Commission CEO John Grayson’s pay to be withheld, in response to reports he’s waiting out the lock-down in Australia . Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams says, “The ... More >>
Top Government Rich Lister Agrees To Stand With Taxpayers; Takes 20% Pay Cut
Monday, 4 May 2020, 8:06 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal Guardians of NZ Super CEO Matt Whineray – the highest-paid public-sector CEO – has agreed to take a 20% pay cut, despite not being covered by the Prime Minister’s announcement of the same for the ‘core ... More >>
Government Must Set Out Practicalities Of Budget Day
Monday, 4 May 2020, 7:52 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
With Budget 2020 just ten days away, lock-up details are still a shambles, making it impossible to plan the practicalities of having analysts attend, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . “Some weeks ago the Government was approached about ... More >>
Taxpayer Funded Interest Free Loans – What Is The Cost?
Saturday, 2 May 2020, 5:02 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to release the Treasury and Inland Revenue advice and costing documents related to the business interest-free loan scheme announced yesterday. The Union's Executive Director, Jordan Williams, ... More >>
Fish & Game Review Overdue
Saturday, 2 May 2020, 4:51 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Government’s review of Fish & Game after years of concern at the Council’s use of taxpayer money for political activity. The Union’s Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “In many ways ... More >>
Taxpayer-funded Interest Free Loans The Worst Policy Seen In Our Lifetimes
Friday, 1 May 2020, 2:23 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Responding the announcement of an interest-free loan scheme for small businesses, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams says: “The Government’s business loan scheme leaves taxpayers exposed to enormous financial risk. Businesses ... More >>
Taxpayers' Union Delighted As Commissioner Throws Weight Behind Public Sector Pay Freeze
Wednesday, 29 April 2020, 6:49 pm | Taxpayers' Union
New Zealand Taxpayers' Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: "Earlier in the month, we wrote to the State Services Commissioner and all major state sector agencies , including councils, recommending that 'public service' pay cuts be extended to ... More >>
