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New Zealand Taxpayers' Union - Latest News [Page 8]
$150m Ticket To Nowhere On The National Ticketing System
Thursday, 6 March 2025, 11:49 am | Taxpayers' Union
NZTA first agreed to the project in 2009, and funding was approved for a business case in 2018. Of the costs, $527.8 million is for design and build of the system, and further $800 million for operational costs. More >>
Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr Resigns
Wednesday, 5 March 2025, 2:49 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Orr’s work caused the single worst economic downturn in New Zealand in over three decades. He was far too slow to react as inflation increased, and far too slow to lower interest rates as inflation fell. More >>
Wellington Ratepayers Set To Be Hammered Again With More Rate Hike Pain
Tuesday, 4 March 2025, 1:23 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Council should be embarrassed as Wellingtonians are seeing wasteful spending, bloated bureaucracy, and pet projects take priority while essential services continue to crumble. More >>
Taranaki’s $85,000 ‘Golden Gecko’ Wild Goose Chase
Tuesday, 4 March 2025, 1:21 pm | Taxpayers' Union
No-one’s saying conservation isn’t important, but $85,000 to find a single gecko? That’s not just bad value for money - it’s laughable. More >>
‘A Council Without Priorities’ - Hastings Council's Embarrassing Dams Failure
Tuesday, 4 March 2025, 11:53 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“We're seeing here a council without priorities – focusing on nice-to-haves when really ratepayers just want them to get on with the basics. Roads, pipes, infrastructure, waste”, Local Government Campaigns Manager, Sam Warren, commented. More >>
Dunedin Water Bills Doubling ‘a Result Of Years Of Underinvestment’
Tuesday, 4 March 2025, 11:09 am | Taxpayers' Union
Councils long-ago have taken their eye of their core responsibilities; pipes, roads and rubbish. Doing too many other things and neglecting critical infrastructure is exactly why councils up and down the country are in this position. More >>
PSA’s Scaremongering On Healthcare A Disgrace
Monday, 3 March 2025, 11:59 am | Taxpayers' Union
Taxpayers want a health system that delivers results, not one that props up pointless bureaucratic sinecures. The PSA is clutching at straws, pushing fear-mongering to protect the bloated administrative machine. The public won’t be fooled. More >>
‘Nothing Short Of A Scandal’- Wellington Paying Three Times As Much For Pipes
Monday, 3 March 2025, 11:14 am | Taxpayers' Union
Highlighting the period between 2017 and 2022 – concerns have been raised on this for years by officials. Warning signs have been ignored, and heads need to roll. More >>
New Poll: Comparing Mayors From Our Largest Cities
Thursday, 27 February 2025, 6:09 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“Of the three mayors from our largest councils, only Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has actually improved his approval score. Perhaps not so coincidentally, it is also Mayor Wayne Brown who has kept local rates increases the lowest of the three metro ... More >>
New Poll: New Zealand’s Best, And Worst, Mayors – How Does Your Local Mayor Rank?
Thursday, 27 February 2025, 5:50 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Data has been collected from the Taxpayers' Union – Curia monthly political polling from January to November 2023, and February 2024 to February 2025. More >>
REVEALED: Wellington, Where Wasting $94k Painting Whirlpools Is An Artform
Wednesday, 26 February 2025, 11:56 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“Wellingtonians are facing their rates bill nearly tripling over ten years. 87 percent of residents want the Council to get back to focussing on the basics. So why has Council wasted $94k on making the side of a sports centre a bit jazzier?” More >>
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 >>
