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Hi
Friend,
I know it's
last minute but I've got another campaign we really need your help to
win on.
As
you know , the Taxpayers' Union has been exposing Members of
Parliament for misusing taxpayer-funded expense and office allowances.
For
example, they caught the Māori Party co-leader using her taxpayer
funded travel entitlement to take a trip to Hawaii.
But
because non-ministerial MPs enjoy a special legal carve-out from
Freedom of Information laws, it's impossible to blow the issue wide
open.
In fact,
the Hawaii trip was only caught because the Taxpayers' Union got a
copy of the MP's private social media posts bragging about the Hawaii
holiday
visit.
Finally
there's a window of opportunity to blow open Parliament's secret
spending 💸
A few weeks
ago, a Bill was introduced to Parliament that makes various
administrative changes to how MPs are funded and Parliament is
organised.
The
Taxpayers' Union has obtained legal advice that removing Parliament's
secrecy provisions that carve out MPs expenses from the public's right
to know, is within scope of the Bill.
Because the
Bill is about Parliament, the Government sent it to an ad-hoc 50-50
Government/Opposition select committee. That means we only need to
convince a single opposition party, and we'll likely get the amendment
through Parliament.
Let's be frank here: this campaign is to force
opposition MPs into justifying why their spending should be a state secret when almost
every other area of public spending is subject to public
scrutiny.
Remember,
Government Ministers' spending is already covered by the
freedom of information law. This is about bringing MPs into line with
what is required of Ministers.
The
Parliament Bill hasn't received media attention, and MPs want to keep
it that way!
As it
stands, the Bill actually opens up what MPs can spend our money on
(for example, MPs won't even need their party leader's permission to
junket, sorry, trip overseas!).
We
say, that giving MPs even more leeway to spend taxpayer money
– on themselves! – justifies the public having transparency of that
spending.
If
you agree, we need you to have your say, RIGHT
NOW.
Time is running out ⏰
MPs are
trying to rush this Bill through, so we don't have long.
Submissions close this Wednesday!
Over the
last few days, the Taxpayers' Union have pulled out all the stops to
quickly build a submission tool. At OpenTheBooks.nz it
takes seconds to add your voice in support of bringing MPs' spending
into the public eye.
>> Take a moment to submit here
and show your support for a transparent
Parliament.
What they don't want you to know...
🤫
Previous
Speakers of Parliament, the Law Commission, and even the original 1980
"Danks Committee" (which gave rise to the Official Information Act)
have called for Parliament to fall into line and give the public
financial transparency.
But
unless we act now, nothing will change.
Of course,
some MPs want to keep their spending in the shadows... They’re
comfortable (quite literally?!) knowing groups like the Taxpayers'
Union are not allowed to access how they spend our money! That's
why taxpayers like you and me must demand
transparency.
Thanks for
your time,
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Peter
Williams
Supporter & Former Board
Member
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union
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ps.
It's quick response campaigns like this – keeping alert and standing
up for hardworking taxpayers – that make me proud to support the
Taxpayers' Union. To join me in making the work possible, click
here to make a secure and confidential donation.
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