Hi Friend,

Thanks goodness the campaign is nearly over! With just over 24 hours to go until polls close, we wanted to quickly recap what you, and our hundreds of thousands of subscribed supporters, have made possible this election campaign fighting for the humble taxpayer.

Slaying the Debt Monster: He's green, he's hungry, and he's coming for your kids! 

At more than $82,300 for every Kiwi household (and counting), Grant Robertson has well and truly unleashed the debt monster.

Thanks to our crowd-funded effort, we've not just built the Debt Clock – we've had it follow the election campaign around the country, and even launched it with a sausage sizzle at Parliament – raising money to pay back Grant Robertson's debt!

We highlighted Grant Robertson's reckless spending with TV adverts and even featured the Debt Clock in newspaper ads such as this one in the Herald's 'Mood of the Boardroom' insert.

Alongside the clock itself, the Debt Monster has been a constant presence on the campaign trail, ensuring politicians can't escape from the cost of their political promises.

Robbo's Removals – helping 218,000 Kiwis head off-shore

Thanks to Grant Robertson's high taxes and rampant inflation combined with Chris Hipkins' failing public services and wasteful spending, moving abroad is the obvious choice for thousands of New Zealanders.

We created Robbo's Removals Co. – a fictional moving company fronted by everyone's favourite Minister of Finance to highlight the fact that 218,000 Kiwis have made the move abroad in search taxpayer-friendlier climbs since 2017.

You may have spotted our bright pink trucks out and about! 

We have also had promotional adverts in the New Zealand Herald, The Post, The Press and the Waikato Times in the last few weeks. 

In case you missed the Robbo's radio ad (thanks to a little bit of artificial Intelligence, and a jingle sung by none other than the Wellington office choir), you can listen to it here.

If you haven't already checked it out, head over to www.Robbos.co.nz now – or call 'Robbo' on 0800 TAX FLEE (0800 829 3533).

Axing the Inflation Tax

Since 2010, the Government has failed to adjust tax brackets for inflation, resulting in Kiwis paying higher and higher average tax rates without any increase to their real incomes.

We believe this adjustment (called indexation) should occur yearly and change automatically without the need for approval by a Minister. This would ensure that any income tax hikes are properly scrutinized instead of been increased by stealth.

We know this is massive problem, but unfortunately, political parties all across the spectrum have been reluctant to address this daylight robbery on hard-working Kiwis.

Find out how much you are worse off because of the inflation tax using our calculator and sign the petition at www.AxeTheInflationTax.nz 

Stopping David Parker's planning power grab

The Government's replacement to the Resource Management Act will result in higher building costs, a loss of local control and the undermining of democratic accountability.

The current RMA may be a terrible piece of legislation, but the changes that have been proposed are only going to make things worse.

We set off around the country to meet with local communities to demonstrate just how bad these reforms are.

In collaboration with Federated Farmers, we held public meetings up and down New Zealand to discuss the devil in the detail and hear your concerns.

We also gave elected members the chance to sign our pledge to stop central planning committees and scrap these reforms.

For more information on what the RMA reforms will mean for you and your community, and to sign our petition against these proposed changes, check our website at www.HandsOffOurHomes.nz

Getting under the Government's skin

Our constant pressure has continued to rattle the Government. Chris Hipkins just can't resist giving us a mention:

Watch the video here.

Whether it was our pointing out of the massive hole in Labour's GST policy costings, or our policy-led advertisements on key issues like the RMA reforms, we've clearing ruffled some feathers within the Government – and we make no apologies for holding the Government to account.

Election debates

In the lead-up to the election, we wanted to give voters the opportunity to listen to their local candidates go head to head on key issues.

So, in collaboration with The Working Group podcast, we hosted six debates around the country in key battle-ground electorates and asked the hard-hitting questions. In addition, we also held a one-off post-leaders debate panel with analysis from some of New Zealand's most prominent political figures.

Tackling key taxpayer issues

Whether it's rebutting outlandish policy proposals or outlining the sheer waste of our Government departments, our team has been working non-stop to provide hard-hitting analysis and reports on the topics at the centre of the political debate.

Over the past few months, we've published six reports, arming the media and our supporters with the facts:

• Our RMA replacement briefing paper by Taxpayers' Union Economist, Ray Deacon, analysing the damaging effects of the Government's proposed planning reforms.

• Our wealth tax report by Research Fellow, Jim Rose, analysing the dangers of the Green's wealth tax proposal that would severely stifle economic growth and harm pensioners and farmers. 

• Our Spoilt Policy report also by Jim Rose examines international research on the complications caused by carveouts to our GST system as proposed by some parties. 

• Jim's third report this campaign is on the pitfalls of a tax-free threshold in which he explains how the policy would be a poorly targeted way of supporting low-income individuals.

• The 2023 Public Sector Wage Gap Report by Taxpayers' Union Researcher, Alex Murphy, investigates the public sector pay premium, out-of-control increases in back-office staff, and other workforce data.

• The 2023 Lifetime Tax Report by Taxpayers' Union Policy Adviser, James Ross, outlining the true extent of the average Kiwi tax burden over the course of a lifetime.

Fighting the War on Waste

The waste of taxpayer dollars across this Government hasn't been hard to come, and it's certainly kept us busy!

From Otago Regional Council spending millions on culling just 18 Wallabies to Auckland Transport staff spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on flights and taxis only to shun their own services, we've uncovered all the bad and all the ugly when it comes to government misspending.

We awarded some of the most egregious examples at our 6th Annual Jonesie Waste Awards

There's plenty more waste to come by, and we can assure you that we'll be digging up the dirt on these Government departments wherever and whenever we get the chance.

Thank you for your support!

Unlike many of our opponents, we're not on the taxpayer's dime. Our work 100% relies on our supporters like you to make possible. Thank you to all who chipped in to make these campaigns possible. 

After tomorrow, the work continues...

No matter the result tomorrow and whatever combination of parties end up forming the next government, our work to fight for a better deal for taxpayers continues. 

The Taxpayers' Union will be holding the next Government's feet to the fire and advocating for policies that will unleash New Zealand's potential and lock in long term prosperity with Lower Taxes, Less Waste, and More Accountability. 

Thank you for your support.

Don't forget to vote – and have a great weekend!

Yours aye,

Callum Purves COO and Head of Campaigns  New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

P.S. Just a reminder that if you have put up any election advertisements (such as the 'Wants to hike fuel taxes' corflute sign), these must be taken down by midnight tonight as no election advertisements are allowed tomorrow (at least until voting closes at 7pm).