New Zealand Taxpayers' Union - Latest News [Page 1]
RNZ’s Unlawful Borrowing: Directors Who Approved It Must Go
Thursday, 12 November 2026, 11:16 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
The directors who were on the board when this unlawful borrowing was approved need to go. Ministers must ensure the independent investigation is overseen by people who had no part in these failures, with its findings published in full. More >>
RNZ’s Refusal To Name The Five Million Dollar Man, Beggars Belief
Wednesday, 11 November 2026, 2:50 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“Not content with pulling the middle finger to prudent financial management, Radio New Zealand is now blowing a raspberry to transparency,” says Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, Jordan Williams. More >>
Palmerston North Councillors Must Hold Firm On Savings
Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 10:50 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Every council programme has its defenders. Ratepayers need someone defending their household budgets too. More >>
Bribe-O-Meter Week 9: Labour Manifesto Adds $1.2 Bn Unfunded Benefits Blunder; Greens, Opportunity As Biggest Spenders
Friday, 6 November 2026, 1:31 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
The biggest addition is a promise to raise benefits by the higher of inflation or average wage growth, rather than just inflation. More >>
REVEALED: South Taranaki’s $1.43 Million Walkway Makeover While Council Runs A Deficit
Friday, 6 November 2026, 9:24 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
New landscaping, public art and logo rebrands might be nice to have, but they can hardly be called essential when ratepayers have been slapped with a rates rise almost twice the rate of inflation, Rhys Hurley said. More >>
Nelson Council’s $88m Slap In The Face For Ratepayers
Thursday, 5 November 2026, 5:44 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Mayor Nick Smith is right to call this a ‘one-fingered salute’ to the public. Ratepayers spoke clearly, yet councillors ignored them and picked the costliest option in a cost-of-living crisis. More >>
Hung Parliament As Only Half A Percent Separates National And Labour, Net Country Direction Jumps To 19 Month High
Wednesday, 4 November 2026, 1:46 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
National is up 0.4 points to 28.9 percent, while Labour is up 0.2 points to 28.4 percent. The Greens gain 1.1 points to 14.4 percent, while ACT gains 1.3 points to 10.5 percent. More >>
Benefits Blunder In Labour Manifesto Exposes Another $1.2 Billion Hole In Fiscal Plan
Wednesday, 4 November 2026, 8:28 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
The Taxpayers’ Union calculates that reversing the Coalition’s decision to index main benefits to inflation would cost an additional $1.18 billion between 1 April 2027 and 30 June 2031. More >>
Bribe-O-Meter Week 8: NZ First Nearly Doubles Its Spending In A Week To $45,000 Per Household
Saturday, 31 October 2026, 5:44 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
October 30, 2026 Voting is now open, but that hasn't slowed the spend-up in Week 8 of the Bribe-O-Meter. New Zealand First are the big movers this week, adding 80 percent to their already significant spending tally. Their defence policy paper promises ... More >>
Labour’s Manifesto Leaves More Questions Than Answers
Thursday, 29 October 2026, 4:20 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Labour’s manifesto fails to explain the $18 billion hole in its fiscal plan, including up to $5.5 billion in uncosted foreign aid commitments, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said. More >>
Trim The Fat To Undo Labour’s Bureaucratic Bloat
Thursday, 29 October 2026, 10:43 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Rhys Hurley said: “Predictably, the Wellington blob is already dragging its feet, warning of reduced services and ballooning contractor bills." More >>
Greens And Te Pāti Māori Should Listen To Their Own Voters On Rates Cap
Thursday, 29 October 2026, 9:35 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tyler Groenewald said: "A rates cap would deliver genuine cost-of-living relief for households across New Zealand, including renters who ultimately pay the price when landlords face rising rates." More >>
Labour Has Learnt Nothing From Its War On Renters
Wednesday, 28 October 2026, 3:59 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“Labour’s economically illiterate attacks on landlords last time they were in government had an extremely predictable effect. Under Labour, median rents rose $180 a week. That means renters were nearly $10,000 a year worse off by 2023.” More >>
Parties Must Show Spending Restraint As Reserve Bank Holds Fire
Wednesday, 28 October 2026, 2:50 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“An OCR hold gives mortgage-holders a breather, but the trend is still upwards. It is no excuse for politicians to loosen the purse strings with election promises." More >>
Labour’s Education Failures Take Centre Stage In Latest Campaign Ad
Wednesday, 28 October 2026, 11:45 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“Taxpayers paid for an education system that failed to deliver for our kids. Parents deserved better than children reaching the end of intermediate without the reading and maths skills expected of them," said Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf. More >>
FACT CHECK: Full List Of Everything Missing From Greens’ Fiscal Plan
Friday, 23 October 2026, 1:55 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
These 17 policies total $176.374 billion, or $85,122 per household. More >>
Labour’s Uncosted Redress Promise Could Leave $1.03 Billion Hole In Fiscal Plan
Monday, 19 October 2026, 8:50 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Labour’s social development spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime has repeatedly committed to establishing an independent redress system for survivors of abuse in state care, but the party’s fiscal plan does not mention or cost this promise. More >>
Winston’s Flip Flop On Showing New Zealand His Numbers
Friday, 16 October 2026, 1:21 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“Winston Peters promised earlier in the week to show New Zealanders how he’d pay for his spending promises. Later the same week, he’s saying there’s no fiscal plan and ‘this year’s Budget is his fiscal plan'." More >>
Labour's Answer To Soaring Rates: Put It On The Mortgage
Thursday, 15 October 2026, 4:13 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Postponing a rates bill doesn’t make it smaller. It means paying later, with interest. Labour is offering councils a way to keep collecting while homeowners watch their equity disappear, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Josh Van Veen says. More >>
Bribe-O-Meter Week 5: $18 Billion Gap In Labour’s Fiscal Plan; Greens’ Spending Plans Approach Quarter Of A Trillion
Friday, 9 October 2026, 1:20 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
We have costed Labour's announcements at $33.17 billion, or $16,007 per household. Excluding existing Government spending commitments, Labour's plan lays out $15.25 billion of new spending over four years, including $4.13 billion of capital. More >>