<[link removed]>Hi Friend,

When Peter Williams launched our local government campaign earlier this year, we made some big promises.

And with just 23 days until voting closes, we're coming up to the home straight.

What have we done so far?

We said we would hold debates across the country - and we’ve done it. From Hamilton to Queenstown, New Plymouth to Hastings, Wellington to Waikato, the Taxpayers’ Union team has put candidates on stage and under pressure from voters.



We promised to identify which candidates back ratepayers and which ones don’t. That’s why we rolled out the Ratepayer Voting Guide. Thousands of Kiwis are now using it to see exactly who has signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge - committing to cap rates, transparency with council spending, and stopping unelected appointees.



And we said we would get the Ratepayers’ Report ready in time for the elections. The data has now been collated from every single council. The league tables are being built as I write this. Very soon, we’ll be publishing the country’s only independent comparison of council performance. But we need your support to make it possible. <[link removed]>

Councils loathe this report because it cuts through their spin.

While they claim things are “not as bad here”, the numbers expose the truth. We need to ensure that when voters go to the polls, they’ll have the facts.

What next? 

But we’re not finished yet. Here’s what’s left in our final push before ballots close:

- Publishing the 2025 Ratepayers’ Report – ranking every council on debt, spending, and transparency.


- Advertising to drive voters to the Voting Guide – so Kiwis know exactly which candidates back ratepayers.


- Keeping up the pressure on candidates – making sure they’re held accountable right up to election day.



Friend, the Taxpayers’ Union has a track record of shifting the dial. Now it’s time to finish the job at the local level. <[link removed]>

> Chip in to the Local Government Fighting Fund < <[link removed]>

Thank you for standing with us,


Jordan Williams
Executive Director
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. 

PS. Councils hate nothing more than the transparency provided by our annual local government league tables in Ratepayers’ Report. That’s exactly why we need to publish it before voters send their ballots back. Together we can make sure ratepayers across New Zealand know the truth. <[link removed]>

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