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Hi Friend,

👻 BOO! $90,388 trick or treat for your household 🎃💀

Like many Dads, later today I'll be taking my kids around the neighbourhood for the Americanpagan tradition of "trick or treating".

According to my five year old, the tradition is to "ward off the ghosts" – but I suspect she has other (sugar-based) motives... 

Little does she really know, that the fright isn't with the costumes or the water pistols. The fright of her life is to come once she grows up and inherits the "trick" the current generation of politicians is "treating" our kids (and grandkids) with.

So if you really want to scare those brats knocking at your door tonight – send them over to the Official Government Debt Clock <[link removed]>.

Right now, Government borrowing amounts to $90,388 for every New Zealand household.

<[link removed]>

And despite what the media would have you believe about so-called "cuts" in Wellington, Nicola Willis is borrowing money at an even faster rate than when Grant Robertson was in charge!!

Spooky. <[link removed]>

And nearly as annoying as sugar-charged kids on a school night, are those damn "e-cards" that land in your email inbox. Well, brace yourself. 

EXPOSED: Sport NZ spends $170k on 298 emails (yes, seriously)🥇💌

Sport New Zealand is one of those Government quangos that sounds all very well, until you realise they simply have too much time (and too much of our money).

The fully-taxpayer-funded crown entity is to be the (to quote from there website): 

kaitiaki (guardian) of the play, active recreation and sport system in Aotearoa New Zealand. [...]

The Sport NZ Group also includesHigh Performance Sport NZ, which leads the high performance sport system, supporting athletes and coaches to deliver performances on the world stage that inspire the nation and its communities, helping to build national identity and promote New Zealand internationally.

Your humble Taxpayers' Union has uncovered they spent $170k as part of a "campaign" to thank Kiwi coaches. 

The website generated an "e-card" (i.e. an email with a picture in it).

Sport NZ pumped $131,598 of taxpayers' money into the project (topped up with another $40 grand from charity) to generate [double checks notes] just 298 emails!

, that's $575 per e-card...



Nothing says "thanks coach" like spam a $575 email 🥰🙏

Back when I was an "elite" sportsman (I'll have you know I was the captain of the third soccer team in my 7th form year) thanking the coach was a bit different.

Back then, a physical card, a slab of beer, or a box of chocolates would have said "thanks". But it's 2024 and kids need to get with the programme. Sports NZ would prefer Kiwis spam their coach to show their appreciation!

The $171,598 spent could have bought 8,580 rugby balls, 4,903 pairs of swimming goggles, or 34,320 tennis balls. Instead we got 298 emails!

If wasting money was a sport, guess who just got the gold medal. 👏

Wellington Council boo-hoo: Crown Observer appointed, Tory is "disappointed" 😢

Speaking of coaches, Wellington City Councillors better get their e-card ready because they've got a new coach on the way.

The City Council is now officially in the naughty corner after Local Government Minister Simeon Brown sent a Crown Observer to clean up their mess.

Not a moment too soon, with rates and debt both set to triple!



Initially, the Wellington Mayor was the bigger person. The NZ Herald even ran a front page splash that the Mayor was "contrite".

Alas, it didn't last long though, as later the very same day:



The Mayor of Wellington really doesn't help her own cause...

We know there's a real danger here, a Crown Observer is sorely needed, but as we saw in Tauranga it can be a slippery slope to Commissioners.

Wellington's leadership might have well and truly dropped the ball, but at least they were democratically elected. 

Putting another unelected bureaucrat at the top isn't going to make that go away. As we saw in Tauranga, things aren't going to get better until we have some decent, elected leadership at the top.

We say that a better option than appointing unelected mandarins to "fix" a wayward council, would be giving New Zealanders the option for recall election as is common overseas.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown – a true reformer to improve local democracy? 🗳️

Coincidentally, we hosted the Local Government Minister at our Auckland offices last night. He was taking questions from members of our Taxpayer Caucus <[link removed]> (our most generous supporters of the Taxpayers' Union) along with Former Local Government Minister Dr Michael Bassett.



As well as building on the points of the Prime Minister's excellent speech to the LGNZ conference back in August <[link removed]>, Simeon Brown said he reads our emails and that his office is forwarded our updates (particularly those from Peter Williams about Three Waters) "sometimes by 500-or-so people".  Good to know you're getting the message, Minister! 😉

On the subject of recall elections, the Minister was well versed on the arguments and not ruling it out – especially if local councils eventually move to a four year electoral term.

We hold our small events with Ministers and policy influencers regularly. If you (or your business) would like to consider stepping up your support and joining the Taxpayer Caucus, contact me or or my colleague Michelle van der Veer <mailto:[email protected]>.

Gold coated canapés? Health NZ has you covered🥂🚑

You'll recall a few weeks back Health New Zealand's senior leaders were exposed for swanning around a conference spending more than $9000 on canapés alone!

Given Health New Zealand's deficit has blown out to $1.76 billion - that's about $880 per household – bureaucrats at the top chowing back canapés at $32 a piece is a bitter pill to swallow. 



Meanwhile, newly announced plans to reduce the quality of the food in hospital canteens rubs salt into the wound.

Bureaucrats get gold, but patients get the scraps?

Our Canadian colleague, Alex, joining Micheal Laws on The Platform to discuss this rort. <[link removed]>

And taking this absolute grift as a personal challenge, Alex went went one step further to see how many canapés he could whip up for the cost of just a single one of theirs. <[link removed]>

<[link removed]>

NZTA spending $710k on art not roads 🎨👨‍🎨

New Zealand's roads are in a state. With potholes, gridlock, and hazards, every dollar should be going where it is most needed.

So when our research team discovered the enormous amount NZTA is spending on art, the petrol heads in our office shook their heads. Our latest investigation has revealed a $710,000 price tag of some of the sculptures going up in the Mackenzie Basin.



This price tag is only a drop in the ocean. NZTA couldn't even tell us how much they'd spent on sculptures just this year. When we asked, we were told it was too much work.

Here at the Taxpayers' Union, we appreciate art. But having Wellington bureaucrats splash our cash on some giant tweezers, sorry, 'roadside sculptures' means less money for, well, roads.

New Plymouth Council spends $1.2 million on beach ramp ⛱️

Yesterday, the Taxpayers' Union called into question New Plymouth District Council splashing out a whopping $1,280,841 on a new set of beach stairs and ramp at Fitzroy Beach, and we’re left wondering: is this really the best use of $1.2 million?

New Plymouth’s “Beach Street Access for All” project touts accessibility for everyone, and who wouldn't support making beaches more accessible?



But here's the kicker: New Plymouth already has an extensive coastal walkway that connects most beaches, making them accessible from other points.

Local Government Campaigns Manager Sam Warren didn’t mince words, suggesting the project could see further cost blowouts and questioning whether the nearly $1.2 million price tag is justifiable in today’s tight economy. <[link removed]>

With rates already up 11.5 per cent, New Plymouth ratepayers should be asking for a detailed breakdown of where every cent is going.

Taxpayer Talks: Mayor Nick Smith on the future of local government

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On this week's episode of Taxpayer Talk, Jordan sat down to talk with current Nelson Mayor and former National Party Minister, Nick Smith.

First elected as a Member of Parliament in 1990, Nick Smith would remain an MP for over three decades. Nick served across a number of portfolios, including Education, Local Government, and Housing. He was elected as Nelson's Mayor in 2022 and now chairs LGNZ's Electoral Reform Group.

With Wellington and Hastings councils in the news over the last few weeks, and the local elections looming next year, Nick joins us to talk local government and local democracy.

Listen to the episode on our website <[link removed]>|Apple Podcasts <[link removed]>|Spotify <[link removed]>|iHeart Radio <[link removed]>

<[link removed]>Enjoy your trick or treating! 👻


Jordan Williams
Executive Director
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union

In the Media:


NZ HeraldAuckland Transport accused of ‘marking its own homework’ in speed reduction evaluations <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZBNewstalk ZB Auckland/Wellington Bulletin 2pm – Health New Zealand catering <[link removed]>

The PlatformAlex Emes on Health NZ’s $60,000 conference catering expenses <[link removed]>

CruxMackenzie Basin artworks cost taxpayer $700,000 <[link removed]>

The Press, Timaru Herald Taxpayers’ Union weighs in on 14m pou in Mackenzie <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZBThe Huddle: Do we need a tougher approach to handling criminals? <[link removed]>

The PlatformTaxpayers’ Union’s James Ross: Should MP’s expenses be public record? <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZB Newstalk ZB Auckland/Wellington Bulletin 4pm – Sport NZ $170k e-cards <[link removed]>

CruxVanity project or excellent value?: ORC’s $200k website <[link removed]>

RNZ Health NZ spent nearly $100,000 on catering for conference <[link removed]>

Stuff, The Post, Taranaki Daily Times Mayor defends cost of steps to popular New Plymouth Beach <[link removed]>

New Zealand Taxpayers' Union Inc. · 117 Lambton Quay, Level 4, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
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