Tool launched to stop the Tax Working Group cash grab
Source: Taxpayers Union 26 APRIL 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has released its draft submission to the Tax Working Group, along with an online tool that makes it easy for taxpayers to make submissions. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “We’re inviting taxpayers across the country to send the Tax Working Group a […]
Read More →Why does the Government hate Rodney?
Source: Taxpayers Union 26 APRIL 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETransport Minister Phil Twyford confirmed this morning that Rodney residents will pay four different ways for transport projects in Auckland. Responding to Mr Twyford’s comments, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Louis Houlbrooke says, “Residents of Rodney will be paying for transport projects through the current fuel taxes, the proposed nationwide increase […]
Read More →Busting the Oil and Gas industry’s Alternative Facts about Jacinda’s offshore oil exploration ban.
Source: Greenpeace New Zealand – Press Release/Statement: Headline: Busting the Oil and Gas industry’s Alternative Facts about Jacinda’s offshore oil exploration ban. After Jacinda’s historic announcement that brought an end to new offshore oil and gas exploration, we’ve been hearing a lot from the industry about how the sky is about to fall in. Fun […]
Read More →$19,000 for cultural advice is tokenism at its worst
Source: Taxpayers Union 20 APRIL 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASELocal councils need to stop wasting money on expensive ‘cultural advice’, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “Christchurch City Council spending nearly $19,000 on cultural advice for a sport centre name translation is expensive tokenism at its very worst.” “The most disturbing aspect […]
Read More →CPAG education expert appointed to Tomorrow’s Schools Taskforce
Source: Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) – Press Release/Statement: Headline: CPAG education expert appointed to Tomorrow’s Schools Taskforce Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is thrilled with the Minister of Education’s appointment of Professor John O’Neill to the Independent Taskforce to Review Tomorrow’s Schools. Professor O’Neill, Head of the Institute of Education at Massey University, is […]
Read More →TAXPAYER HERO: Hon Dr Megan Woods
Source: Taxpayers Union 19 APRIL 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEThe eradication of Callaghan Innovation’s controversial Growth Grants in favour of a rules-based R&D tax incentive is a major victory for taxpayers, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “For years we have been campaigning against these handouts to businesses hand-picked by Callaghan […]
Read More →Tobacco tax zealots are now changing their tune
Source: Taxpayers Union 18 APRIL 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEIt is clear we have reached a sea-change on tobacco policy, with long-standing champions of tobacco tax hikes now changing their tune, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. On the AM Show this morning, Hāpai Te Hauora CEO Lance Norman admitted that tobacco excise “is having a negative impact on other […]
Read More →April Newsletter
Source: Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) – Press Release/Statement: Headline: April Newsletter Kia ora koutou katoa, and welcome to Child Poverty Action Group New Zealand’s April 2018 newsletter. In This Issue Nationwide post budget events 2018 Child Poverty Reduction Bill Submission Round the Bays 2018 Community film screening fundraiser Policy news CPAG news update CPAG […]
Read More →Greenpeace Oil Campaign: Seven years in the wilderness
Source: Greenpeace New Zealand – Press Release/Statement: Headline: Greenpeace Oil Campaign: Seven years in the wilderness Steve Abel A photograph popped up on my Facebook feed recently, saying – “seven years ago today”. It was a shot of the crew from the Oil Free Seas flotilla being welcomed onto Waititi Marae at the isolated […]
Read More →Human rights, housing and child poverty – where do we stand?
Source: Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) – Press Release/Statement: Headline: Human rights, housing and child poverty – where do we stand? How well is New Zealand doing to ensure it upholds its international obligations to human rights, especially where they relate to children? The concluding observations from a recent review of how New Zealand is […]
Read More →CPAG welcomes new report on Children’s Rights
Source: Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) – Press Release/Statement: Headline: CPAG welcomes new report on Children’s Rights Child Poverty Action Group welcomes the new report from the Children’s Convention Monitoring Group (CCMG), and its timely release following the 25th anniversary of New Zealand signing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC). The […]
Read More →Crisis of underinvestment means Govt must reconsider election bribes
Source: Taxpayers Union 11 APRIL 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEClaims of underinvestment in health and education should naturally lead to the Government reconsidering its expensive non-essential election bribes, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Louis Houlbrooke says, “Clearly the Government believes it’s facing a crisis of underinvestment and needs to spend a lot of money […]
Read More →National’s fuel tax ad misrepresents their policy
Source: Taxpayers Union 10 APRIL 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENational’s new campaign and TV ad against fuel taxes is disingenuous, considering the Party refuses to make any commitment to repeal the taxes if elected government, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Louis Houlbrooke says, “It’s a nice ad, but it’s completely misleading. You would think, […]
Read More →Another Taxpayers’ Union victory for transparency
Source: Taxpayers Union 6 APRIL 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEWellington City Council’s commitment to proactively release sensitive spending figures is a win for transparency and the Taxpayers’ Union. The first round of figures, including a $98,000 banquet, were released in response to a Taxpayers’ Union information request. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “Wellington ratepayers have gained […]
Read More →Coleman’s early exit betrays taxpayers (and his voters)
Source: Taxpayers Union Coleman’s early exit betrays taxpayers (and his voters) 28 MARCH 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union says that electorate MPs should sign pledges confirming they intend to serve a full three-year term, instead of sparking a by-election like Jonathan Coleman has. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “If an electorate MP isn’t […]
Read More →REVEALED: The $40,000 price tag for Justin Lester’s rainbow crossing
Source: Taxpayers Union 28 MARCH 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEThe $40,000 price tag for Justin Lester’s proposed ‘rainbow crossing is a slap in the face for Wellington ratepayers, says the New Zealand Taxpayers Union. The Union has obtained the figure under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act. Wellington City Council provided the following estimate of the crossing’s costs (based on estimates […]
Read More →Proposed Education Bill could be disastrous for disadvantaged children
Source: Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) – Press Release/Statement: Headline: Proposed Education Bill could be disastrous for disadvantaged children Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) says that if passed, the Education (Social Investment Funding and Abolition of Decile System) Amendment Bill could put schools serving income poor and materially deprived communities at risk of losing funding they […]
Read More →Win for Taxpayers’ Union in SSC findings
Source: Taxpayers Union 22 MARCH 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEToday’s findings by the State Services Commission inquiry, led by John Ombler QSO, into Dr Nigel Murray, are spot on, vindicate, and justify the work of the Taxpayers’ Union. The Union successfully led a campaign calling for the resignation, or sacking, of Dr Murray and subsequently the former DHB Chair, Bob Simcock. “Today’s […]
Read More →Oxfam announces leaders of Independent Commission on Sexual Misconduct
Source: Oxfam New Zealand – Press Release/Statement: Headline: Oxfam announces leaders of Independent Commission on Sexual Misconduct Zainab Bangura, a former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, and Katherine Sierra, a former Vice-President of the World Bank, will co-chair an Independent Commission on Sexual Misconduct, Accountability and Culture Change, Oxfam said today. The Independent Commission […]
Read More →Ombudsman must act as Auckland Council pisses on LGOIMA
Source: Taxpayers Union Ombudsman must act as Auckland Council pisses on LGOIMA 20 MARCH 2018FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEThe Ombudsman needs to send a message to bureaucrats who withhold information from the public by publicly reprimanding the senior Auckland Council official responsible for deliberately delaying the release of a major report on Ports of Auckland, says the […]
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