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Hi Friend,

Better late than never... media wake up to whale song 🐋

Thanks for all the feedback on the $ 4 million "whale music to heal Kauri tree science project" (we've received more than a thousand emails alone!). We even received a Spotify Playlist of, you guessed it, Whale Songs! <[link removed]> At $18.99 per month, Spotify Premium would have been a lot cheaper than the $ 4 million taxpayers forked out!

And, thanks to persistence from your humble Taxpayers' Union, the media couldn't continue to ignore it. First up, Sean Plunket on The Platform interviewed me, and this morning Mike Hosking pontificated about the wasteful project (and, rightly, asked why there had been so little media attention on it). Thank you, Sean and Mike! (Click on image to listen).

<[link removed]> <[link removed]>"Save the Whale [songs]?" 🎶 Govt pulls plug on funding 🎉

Not only has the media now taken notice, but so too has the Beehive.

A Taxpayers' Union board member was contacted over the weekend with assurances from a very senior government figure 😉 that the Government's so-called "Science Re-set" will see the decade-long funding of the "National Science Challenges" (originally set up by Key-era Minister Steven Joyce) come to an end.

In fact, outgoing Science Minister Judith Collins made the decision last year, as part of a greater shake-up that was announced as part of last Thursday's speech on the economy (more on that below).

So who's to blame? What the officials wouldn't tell us... 🤫

The background to the project and MBIE's general approach to intertwining traditional Māori knowledge (also known as folklore) was also outlined by our source in the Beehive.

Because MBIE had been so cagey (it literally took us months just to get the cost out of them!), we had assumed that the misappropriation of science funding was due to bad eggs within MBIE and Landcare Research getting ahead of themselves in 'decolonising' science. 

Guess who...

Taxpayer Update has learned that what led to the whole "Oranga Wellbeing" project was in fact hatched from a directive from former Ministers for Research, Science and Innovation <[link removed]> under the last Labour-Government. Clearly leaning into the innovation rather than the science maybe?



The Taxpayers' Union has some questions for the former Ministers, Drs Megan Woods and Ayesha Verrall about why prayer and whale song for forest health is a good use of taxpayer money.

And credit where credit is due, the Labour Party Chief Press Secretary immediately responded to my request for a sit-down interview (we normally have to wait for days!).

Alas, they don't want to talk about it... <[link removed]>

That speech on the economy: Is Christopher Luxon serious about "going for growth"?

After a bad poll, and the majority of voters voicing that the country is headed in the 'wrong' direction, all eyes were on Christopher Luxon last week for his 'State of the Nation' speech in front of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce last week.

I headed along to listen, and as is often the case with politicians, Christopher Luxon was more passionate and convincing in the Q&A (with the Chambers' new boss, Simon Bridges) than in the set piece speech.

The message was simple: for New Zealand to get ahead we need to stop saying 'no' and go for economic growth.

Amen to that! From a taxpayer perspective, economic growth isn't everything, but it's just about everything. 

Here was my reaction as I left the venue.

<[link removed]>

Why Growth Matters 🚀

David Farrar and I co-founded the Taxpayers' Union because we love this country but don't want to feel guilty bringing up our kids in a New Zealand that is poor. We are as natural-resource rich as Australia, as innovative as the Americans, and offer a stable english-common law legal system. So why are we falling further and further behind?

As Mr Luxon rightly identified, it's policy choices and an approach of 'saying no' that costs us – and we are seeing with the state of our economy, public services, and numbers leaving for greener pastures the result.

So unless New Zealand pulls up its socks, grows our productivity, and tackles a bloated wasteful government sector, the opportunities for our children relative to our Australian cousins simply won't be there.

So, in terms of rhetoric, Mr Luxon gets the big tick.

But now for the substance. Mr Luxon was let down badly by his policy team. Even if he successfully convinced the crowd that he was serious about turning around New Zealand's economic fortunes, the speech failed to produce the goods.

Mr Luxon said he wants New Zealand to be more like Ireland and Singapore. But instead of taking the policy settings towards those role models, the only announcement was to rearrange New Zealand Trade and Enterprise officials into a new bureaucracy to be called "Invest New Zealand".

I can't believe I'm writing this, but yes the Government's headline economic growth announcement was (drum roll...) anotherGovernment agency. To do exactly what Trade & Enterprise and MBIE officials are supposed to be doing already.

So for one job, we will now have not two, but three sets of bureaucrats doing the same thing! Feeling richer yet?



If the Ardern-Government taught us anything it is that political rhetoric and jawboning isn't enough. If New Zealand really is to become the next Celtic Tiger or the South Pacific version of Singapore's "Lion City" a government marketing agency doesn't cut it. <[link removed]>

This was the comment we gave to the media:

“The speech represents shifting deck chairs, not the sort of economic reform the times call for.”

“People don’t invest in a country because a government agency tells them to. Claims that this model is seen in Ireland or Singapore are fantasy. Investors in those countries don’t have among the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world. Today’s speech would have meant something had it tackled our tax settings or securities law which make investing here so unattractive.”

“New Zealand’s lack of foreign investment isn’t because of a lack of bureaucrats. It’s because we don’t offer competitive investments. Today’s speech lacks the seriousness or urgency in ‘going for growth’.” 

Ireland and Singapore weren't fuelled by marketing fluff, or investor "concierge services" but by low corporation taxes (12% and 17% respectively, vs New Zealand's 28%), an investor-friendly foreign investment legal framework, and an efficient, lean government.

As a Minister of Finance from the 1990s put it:

"If the Government is serious about growing the economy it would immediately cut the company tax rate – or allow for full expensing of capital expenditure this year to put a rocket under investment incentives and to grow productivity."

"But such measures would have a cost. They would require significant cuts to wasteful government spending."

The ball is in Christopher Luxon's court. Hard work and bold policy are necessary to grow New Zealand's productivity and New Zealanders' prosperity.

The job of the Taxpayers' Union is to ensure he delivers... <[link removed]>



You can read the PM's full  <[link removed]>speech here <[link removed]> (or watch the video here <[link removed]>).

RIP Callaghan Innovation 🪦💰

Luxon's speech did have one thing to celebrate though: The Government is finally scrapping its corporate welfare arm, Callaghan Innovation! With a budget of $240m this year alone, it's no small fry.

Long time readers of Taxpayer Update will recall Callaghan Innovation are the poster child of government waste. On paper, the agency exists to commercialise science and innovation. In reality, it's led by people who failed to make it in the commercial world, but chuck away millions in corporate welfare to big businesses to 'innovate'.

On top of that, the agency has had a broken culture for about as long as it has existed. Wasteful spending has been coming out of their ears, and even as far back as 2015/16 (it was only founded in 2013), the Taxpayers' Union exposed this relatively small agency for spending nearly $3m on entertainment, airfare,  and accommodation in just one year! <[link removed]>



Of course, the devil will be in the detail, the Government says it'll be "moving its most important functions to other parts of the system." So don't count your chickens just yet - no doubt the corporate welfare lobbyists are already out in force looking for another backdoor into taxpayers' back pockets.

If you're interested in the details of the science announcement, head over to the Beehive website here <[link removed]>. Also worth reading is Steven Joyce (who held the Science portfolio in the John Key-era)'s opinion piece from the weekend: Government’s science plan is like rearranging the deckchairs – Steven Joyce (NZ Herald) <[link removed]>

Governor-General gives herself the Royal treatment 🫅🥂💁‍♀️

Thanks to a tipoff from within the Government, we've exposed that the Governor-General has spent more than $23,000 of taxpayer cash on VIP treatment at just one airlineairport alone! <[link removed]>

London Heathrow Airport's "VIP facilitation service" covers everything from chauffeurs to fine art - not to mention the Michelin-star food. <[link removed]> Not bad if the taxpayer's footing the bill.



Dame Cindy Kiro would hardly be the first person to use a taxpayer-funded trip overseas as an excuse for a taste of the high life. In fact, it seems to be the Film Commission's entire job! <[link removed]>

It's one thing to fly the world's best airline business class around the world. But to require a limo to pick you up from the plane (when diplomats already get rushed through special lines at security) isn't really the Kiwi way. In fact, even Prime Ministers seldom use these services.

But that rorting just stings a little bit more when the person doing it already lives in a mansion with domestic staff fully paid for by taxpayers. <[link removed]>

Dame Cindy's pulling home a salary of $447,900 a year, as well as an expense package of $40,551 (clothing and luggage are expensive these days!). When that comes to nearly seven times the median wage, is it really too much to ask for the Governor-General to pay for her own red carpet reception?

Since the team published the story, we've had some other government insiders contact us to report other areas where the Governor General is taking (to put it politely) an entitled approach. More to come...

Have a great week, 


Jordan Williams
Executive Director
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. 

Ps. I'm on Duncan Garner's podcast with Matthew Hooton and Shane Te Pou live at 7 pm. If you're online tonight, join us via [link removed]

Pps. The Taxpayers' Union is made possible by the thousands of our supporters who chip-in to make the work possible. To make a secure and confidential donation, click here. <[link removed]> Thank you for your support.











<[link removed]>

Stuff Labour ahead of National in first political poll of the year <[link removed]>

InterestLabour Party leads in first poll of 2025 <[link removed]>

RNZLabour passes National in new poll <[link removed]>

The PressNational Party blames ‘economic times’ for poll drop <[link removed]>

The PressRumours swirl round Reti ahead of surprise reshuffle <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZB James Ross: Making sense of the latest poll <[link removed]>

The PostReshuffle transforms Willis into economic mega-minister <[link removed]>

ODT Not funding chambers, councils say <[link removed]>

Herald There’s no need for Christopher Luxon and the Government to hit the panic button just yet <[link removed]>

The Platform The fraught business of Being Chloe <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZB Are we a nation of humourless whiners? <[link removed]>

NewsroomWillis’ greater economic powers could come at a cost <[link removed]>

The PostLuxon assembles his caucus after Cabinet reshuffle <[link removed]>

The HeraldThe twilight of NZ journalism? Google, Big Tech and breaking news <[link removed]>

The HeraldChristopher Luxon goes all in on economy as National MPs accept reshuffle fate <[link removed]>

Bassett, Brash and HidePETER WILLIAMS: Another nail in the coffin <[link removed]>

The SpinoffLuxon launches reboot for 2025 <[link removed]>

Pacific News MediaPNM News 23 January 2025 2pm <[link removed]>

The HeraldPM’s big economic speech a good start, but needs more <[link removed]>

Waikato TimesYes-man Luxon’s economic growth formula begins to crystalise <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZBFull show podcast: 23 January 2025 <[link removed]>

The SpinoffScience reforms just the entree to government’s growth agenda <[link removed]>

RNZPolitical panel <[link removed]>

The PlatformJordan Williams reacts to $4m paid to play whale music to kauri trees <[link removed]>

Chris Lynch Media $4 million spent on kauri tree research using whale song and whale-oil potions <[link removed]>

The PostGovernment will need to take some risks if it’s serious about growth <[link removed]>

The PostThe surplus is dead! Long live growth! <[link removed]>

The PostPublic servants sent on $100k ‘courage building’ courses <[link removed]>

NewsroomExperts, political figures consider Treaty principles debate beyond bill <[link removed]>

Rural NewsWaste-watch <[link removed]>

The PlatformWinston Peters on John Minto’s Genocide Hotline, whale music, Treaty Principles Bill <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZB Hosking: Whale Song (Tuesday 28/1/25 8:47am) <[link removed]>

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