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Hi Friend,

You won't top these Golden Hogs 💫🐷

Thanks to those who joined us at Parliament last week where we hosted the 2025 Jonesie Awards for Government Waste.

In case you missed it, you can watch a replay of the red carpet, golden-glitzed (and, tongue firmly in cheek) awards ceremony here. <[link removed]>

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This year's Jonesies winners were up there with the best of them.

Spoiler alert: The who's who of government waste 🥇



This year’s winners did not disappoint. In the Local Government Category, the Hastings District Council took the bacon for its disastrous fiscal management and putting unelected kids members of its "youth council" onto its council committees and giving them voting rights.

To our delight, a Hastings District [Youth] Councillor flew all the way to Wellington to accept the award on the Mayor's behalf. Congratulations Councillor Zoe! <[link removed]>



The Central Government Winner was Dr Ayesha Verrall for her time as Minister of Science and Innovation in approving the "research" of Whale Song to cure Kauri trees costing taxpayers four million bucks. 



And as for the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award – click here to watch the ceremony to see which very lucky Mayor took home her very own golden bicycle. <[link removed]>

"Will do my utmost to never be a nominee for these awards" - says Minister 🎉

The purpose of Jonesies-style name-and-shame efforts is to discourage officials and politicians from making wasteful spending decisions in the first place.

So we know we're right over the target when a Minister (in this case the Hon Andrew Hoggard) publicly comments that he "Will do [his] utmost to never be a nominee for these awards."  <[link removed]>

We hope so Mr Hoggard! 😉

<[link removed]>Why are polls looking for gloomy for the Government? ⤵️ 

Off the back of last week's Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll and another poll which also showed a potential change of government, Jordan was on RNZ's Morning Report to discuss what our research says Mr Luxon needs to do. Click here to listen. <[link removed]>

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Eh?! New Zealand's closing up shop? 👀

The economy might be in bad shape, but even for the Taxpayers' Union, the latest government announcement might be slightly overselling the gravity of the situation. On Sunday, the Government announced a new tourism campaign with the slogan "Everyone Must Go".

In a sign that the Beehive's political antenna remains on the fritz, many were quick to point out the blindingly obvious: is this a closing down sale or a snazzy catchphrase to draw in Australians?

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But here's the kicker. The $500,000 ad campaign was funded out of the International Visitor and Tourism Levy <[link removed]> – a tax on [checks notes] all non-Australian tourists. So officials are using the money to attract the only type of tourism that is exempt.

Look, we're not against a little tourism promotion, but is this really the serious economic reform Luxon's been promising?

To save us from the next campaign (pictured below) surely the Government can do better, right?



Government accountability: Sir Saint Brian Roche's music to our ears 🎶🙌

Glory glory, Hallelujah! The new Public Service Commissioner is certainly singing from our hymn sheet. <[link removed]>



At last week's New Zealand Economics Forum, Sir Brian Roche didn't waste any time sugarcoating - it was truth-bomb after truth-bomb:

- The public service has exploded by more than 30 percent in six years – accounting for 63,537 public servants 'workers'.
- Over the same timeframe, total salary costs grew a staggering 72 percent, to $6.1 billion ($3,043 per household) per year. And that doesn't include the wider public sector such as defence personnel, police, teachers, public healthcare workers.
- In terms of the public service structure (his words) "to say it's complex is an understatement". There are 46 chief executives in the core public service (again, that excludes police, teachers, frontline departments, etc).
- “The system is inefficient”  “not fit for purpose” and "We’ve got too many small, overlapping agencies, eating up resources, duplicating work, and driving up fixed costs."

We've been waiting for a long time for a Public Service Commissioner who knows our government's become a money-sink. But he's only in the role until June 2027 - so there's no time to waste. <[link removed]>

How bad's the problem? 💣



Friend, it wasn't in Sir Brian's speech, but to illustrate the points the Commission was making, here are two factoids to bank.

The first is this comparison produced last year by our friends at the NZ Initiative <[link removed]> (a Wellington-based think tank).

Here is New Zealand's "Public Policy Responsibility Flowchart <[link removed]>" drawing the lines of responsibility between Ministers, departments, and major sectors of the economy.

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And here is a country of roughly the same size, Norway. Notice any difference? <[link removed]>

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In the humble opinion of the Taxpayers' Union, the report <[link removed]> should be compulsory reading for every MP: especially the former Minister for the Public Service who shepherded through Parliament the Public Sector Act 2020 and got us into this mess, one [double checks notes] Rt Hon Chris Hipkins...

The full research note is online here. <[link removed]>

Judge for yourself: MBIE accountable to all or accountable to no one? 🥸

Here's today's second factoid for you to pull out when some left-wing media claims that reform in Wellington isn't necessary.

The screen shot below is taken directly from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment website <[link removed]>. Just look how many Ministers MBIE officials are "accountable" to (click for larger version <[link removed]>):

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Double check my maths, but I think that's 21 Ministers across 29 portfolios. When something goes wrong, or officials go rogue <[link removed]>, just who is responsible? Clear as mud then.

Sir Brian, you know what to do. <[link removed]>

$12,700 worth of bad news: the cost of just two years under performance 📉🚮

Ever wondered how poor New Zealand's growth is? Nicola Willis, take heed.

GDP per capita is $5,300 lower than Treasury forecast just two years ago. And stunted growth means another $7,400 can be shaved off where Treasury forecast we'd be in two years' time.

As the NZ Herald's Thomas Coughlan put it: $12,700 for every New Zealander - the cost of no growth.  <[link removed]>



Nicola Willis' speech at the NZ Economics Forum was significantly less inspiring than Sir Brian Roche's. Trite lines about prioritising economic growth, but still no real meat to back it up.

Budget 2025 is just 93 sleeps away. If we want growth, we need ambitious policies.

But your humble Taxpayers' Union is here to help. Keep an eye on your inbox later this week for the "best tax policy you've [probably] never heard of" ...

EXPOSED: grifting as an Art Foundation art form 🎨💰

The Arts Foundation was set up to raise private money for the arts – you know, helping young, starving artists get their shot at the big time and giving humble arts organisations a boost. Fair enough.

You’d think their funding would go toward paintbrushes, canvases, and theatre productions, right? Wrong. Instead, they’ve raked in $1,180,300 from Creative NZ (i.e. taxpayers) since 2021/22 — but not for art, not for artists, but, drumroll please… lobbying!

That’s right, instead of funding tortured geniuses, the Arts Foundation is now being funded by the taxpayer to practicing the art of schmoozing politicians. <[link removed]>



Picasso once said, “Art is a lie that makes us realise truth.” Well, here’s the truth: Creative NZ is funnelling millions to a private charity, which then turns around and lobbies the very government that funds it. Talk about a taxpayer-funded money-go-round.

Why paint the system when you can game it? You can read what our research team have uncovered over on our website. <[link removed]>

Enjoy the rest of your week, Friend.


James Ross
Policy & Public Affairs Manager
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union

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In the Media:

NZ HeraldTwo new polls show Labour/Greens/Te Pāti Māori can form Government <[link removed]>

RNZTwo new polls show centre-left bloc could form government <[link removed]>

StuffThird major poll shows more support for Opposition than Government <[link removed]>

Nz City Labour's cautiously optimistic a new poll might spell trouble for the coalition <[link removed]>

Otago Daily Times Polls show left could form government <[link removed]>

PolitikSeymour tells Luxon where to go <[link removed]>

Waatea News Polls show National-led coalition losing support <[link removed]>

The PlatformJames Ross On The National Party's Bad Polling & What It Means <[link removed]>

The GuardianNew Zealand government loses ground in polls as economic concerns grow <[link removed]>

RNZCentre-left ahead of govt in latest polls <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZBDoes Kāinga Ora need to be tougher? <[link removed]>

RNZThe Panel with David Farrar & Claire Amos <[link removed]>

SpinoffChristopher Luxon’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZBEarly Edition Full Show <[link removed]>

The PressRates rage: Homeowners ‘furious’ in face of crushing council increases <[link removed]>

The PressWill councillors pause Gore’s district plan? <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZBWellington 18 February (10am) - Wellington EV chargers <[link removed]>

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