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Good morning Friend,

Another week, another bad set of polls for the Government – this time, on economic management – our 2025 Council CEO Rich List was hit in the media over the weekend, and in between, we’ve had waste exposed from Auckland to Waimakariri. Let's get into it.

NEW POLL: Nicola Willis gets voters' thumbs down on five of five economic management tests 👎

A majority of voters say the Government is performing poorly on economic management across all five key issues measured as part of last week's Taxpayers' Union-CuriaPoll.

In addition to the usual poll questions, our pollsters ask voters to say whether they thought the Government was doing a “good job" or “bad job" in each area, resulting in a net score (i.e. the "good" number minus the "bad").

In no area did the Government receive a net positive result. Ouch.




You can read the full results over on our website. <[link removed]>

Your humble Taxpayers' Union suggest the message loud and clear: the Government's failure to be bold on economic reform or cutting excessive government spending is hurting them.

Nicola Willis's 'softly-softly' approach is not cutting the mustard. There are more bureaucrats now than when Labour left office, she is spending more than Grant Robertson was at the time of the 2023 election, and the Government is even borrowing at a faster rate! That’s caused inflation to track back up, and the ‘going for growth’ has been too much talk, not enough action.

Nicola’s in London - talking about Taxpayers' Union policies! 😍

Nicola Willis has been in London meeting with the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves. Reeves is battling grim approval ratings and a bond market that is fast losing confidence in her fiscal management. Sound familiar?

Willis visited our friends at the Adam Smith Institute <[link removed]>, where she was briefed on (and I’m quoting directly here) “how innovative free market policies (such as Full Expensing…) could help the Kiwi economy to grow.”



I wonder why she flew 13,000 miles to hear about full capital expensing <[link removed]> when she could’ve just walked 100 yards down Lambton Quay to come and see us? 😉

EXPOSED: Council CEO Rich List 💸

On Friday, we dropped the 2025 Council CEO Rich List <RichList.nz>, and honestly, it’s a jaw-dropper. These bosses have been raking it in over 2023–24, while councils cry poor.

Most Kiwis are pinching pennies as rates have exploded, but Council bosses are pocketing five and a half times the average salary. On top of that, the average pay rise was $16,000 last year – while rates are up 35% in just three years.

<RichList.nz>

At the top: Christchurch City Council ratepayers forked out $1,027,696 in 12 months to cover their former CEO Dawn Baxendale, and her replacement, Mary Richardson. Gore District’s leadership shuffle cost ratepayers $771,558, while the Super City CEO is on a super pay-packet of $735,935. Rotorua Lakes District Council’s trio were paid $695,961, and Tauranga City Council’s Marty Grenfell was on $623,658.

Now, in fairness to Mary Richardson in Christchurch, her base salary is actually trimmed back from when she first stepped in as interim CEO, but ratepayers still forked out over a million dollars for the one role in a single year. Let’s hope we can heap praise on Mary in next year’s tables.

The numbers are eye watering <RichList.nz>, and will lead any ratepayers to ask: when did “town clerk” turn into CEO-level pay? These aren’t startup moguls; they’re bureaucrats. With very hefty pay packets.

Bottom line: public service is supposed to mean service, not six-figure salaries while households struggle. Rates keep climbing, but somehow there’s always room for another pay bump at the top.

See how your council's Town Clerk's pay packet compares at www.RichList.nz <[link removed]>

OIA loophole: MPs keep their secrets safe 🔒

Here’s one for the “rules for thee, not for me” file. Parliament’s just pushed ahead with an update to the Parliament Bill — but guess whose spending still won't be covered by the Official Information Act... Members of Parliament!

Spending by Ministers, Departments, and councils are subject to OIA or its local government equivalent requests… but your local MP? Off limits. No obligation to release the documents, correspondence, or advice they rely on. Transparency for everyone else, but secrecy for the very people making the laws.

Our Investigations Coordinator, Rhys (who, by the way, I reckon must be the most prolific OIA user in the whole country)went on The Platform this week to call it out <[link removed]>.

<[link removed]>

If MPs want to rebuild trust, the first step is simple: apply the same sunlight rules to themselves that almost every other public agency lives under.

Otherwise, the message is pretty clear: transparency is great, just not when it’s about them...

Rangiora’s $28m Gold-Plated Gym 🏋️



Rangiora’s MainPower Stadium has been unveiled with all the bells and whistles — and we mean all of them. Six thousand square metres of courts, event space, a modern gym, fancy lighting, passive cooling, and even rainwater harvesting.

Sounds flash, right? Well, it should. The final bill came to $28 million. With just 7,100 households, that's nearly $4,000 per household!

That’s a lot of ratepayer money for essentially a gold-plated gym.

Sure, it’s picked up an industry award, but trophies don’t pay the rent. And when households are tightening belts, you’ve got to ask: do we really need top-shelf features in a community gym? Or would a solid, no-frills stadium have done the job without the champagne price tag?

TAXPAYER TALK: Mayor Andrew Tripe on the Lowest Average Rates Increase in the Country 🎙️🎧



Rates across the country have soared, many into the double-digits. But while most councils point fingers and find excuses, Mayor for Whanganui Andrew Tripe has kept his average rates increase as little as 2.2 percent – the lowest in the country this year.

This week, Mayor Tripe joins Peter Williams for a discussion <[link removed]> on how this was achieved, and the work behind getting his Council focused on the basics, while keeping up with important infrastructure and services, and paying down debt.

Speaking of podcasts... 🎧

<[link removed]>

Not to compete with our own podcast, but our Executive Director, Jordan, was on The Good Oil Podcast with Cam Slater <[link removed]>. Jordan and Cam discuss bureaucratic bloat, freedom of speech and why democracy needs defending now more than ever. Watch here <[link removed]>, or find it in all your usual streaming services.

As always, thank you for your support Friend.

<[link removed]>Have a great week.


Tory Relf
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union




























In the Media:

NZ Herald Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says Hipkins is trying to ‘gaslight’ NZ on Covid-19 inquiry no-show <[link removed]>

Taranaki Daily News Ballot Box Bites 

Asia Pacific Report Gerard Otto on Palestine, genocide and the media: ‘Not if – but when – but not now’ <[link removed]>

RNZ Statehood stoush, political polls, RNZ’s listener loss <[link removed]>

NZ Herald Kiwis demand public answers from former ministers in Covid-19 inquiry – Editorial <[link removed]>

The Press Business leaders sour on Luxon government, but fear lack of clear successor <[link removed]>

Greymouth Star Coast council CEO payments revealed

NZ Herald New Zealand’s perfect political storm approaches – Bruce Cotterill <[link removed]>

NZ Herald Duncan Garner: Power and money hungry councils must be wound down <[link removed]>

NZ Herald Covid-19 inquiry: Kiwis disagree with Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins not fronting public hearing, poll results show <[link removed]>

Otago Daily Times Accusation of high salaries taken out of context: Mayor <[link removed]>

Waikato Times Museum muddle sees Waipā ratepayers carry the can

Waikato Times Voters want hope, so what are politicians offering?

NZ HeraldNZ’s highest paid council CEOs revealed: Christchurch chief’s salary tops $1m <[link removed]>

RNZThe State of the Opposition <[link removed]>

Local Matters Council drops rates bombshell on Rodney <[link removed]>

Interest.co.nz Any capital gains or wealth tax Labour proposes before the 2026 election will be designed to avoid making it harder for the next generation of farmers to buy productive land <[link removed]>

BusinessDesk Kāpiti council spends $43k on CEO Harvard course amid rates pressure <[link removed]>

The Bradbury Group Auckland’s Decline, Palestine, TVNZ Poll & Seabed Law | Marama Davidson, Chris Finlayson, Kerrin Leoni | Bradbury Group <[link removed]>

Radio531pi Radio: Labour Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni joined #PacificMornings to discuss the Party’s recent caucus retreat, and whether any policy announcements could be on the way <[link removed]>

The Platform NZ Simon Bridges On The State Of Auckland <[link removed]>

Cambridge News Council Costs Revealed <[link removed]>

TVNZ Councillor kicked out of meeting after labelling policy ‘racist’ <[link removed]>

The Press Rangiora's MainPower Stadium slammed as 'gold-plated gym' <[link removed]>

The New Zealand Initiative ‘DROWNING ELECTORALLY’: LUXON’S PREMIERSHIP UNDER PRESSURE <[link removed]>

Taranaki Daily News Chong exits council meeting

RNZ Midweek - Assassinations in Gaza, poll chaos, ad backlash <[link removed]>

RNZ The Politics Panel <[link removed]>

The Post Murray Chong leaves council meeting after repeated warnings <[link removed]>

Te Ao Māori NewsNZ First minister to focus on the regions after party boost in polls <[link removed]>

NewstalkZB ‘Head down, tail up’: Luxon shakes off popularity drop in recent polls <[link removed]>

Waatea News Claudette Hauiti on the kickouts of Parliament & more <[link removed]>

Interest.co.nz A new poll shows even the Government's own supporters have mixed feelings about its economic reforms and efforts to cut spending <[link removed]>

The Spinoff Why the Labour-National stalemate is leaving voters looking elsewhere <[link removed]>

Otago Daily TimesTail-wagging jibe may have Labour worried <[link removed]>

Stuff NZ politics live: Swarbrick says Speaker’s ruling puts Parliament in ‘unprecedented territory’ <[link removed]>

Heather de Plessis-Allen Drive Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on Chlöe Swarbrick getting booted from the House during Palestine speech <[link removed]>

The Platform NZ Rhys Hurley On Why Parliament’s Spending Remains Hidden From The Public <[link removed]>

Chris Lynch MediaPoll shows voters give Government failing marks on all major economic issues <[link removed]>

RNZ Christopher Luxon shrugs off polls showing tight electoral race <[link removed]>

Greymouth Star New poll shows govt struggling to make headway

NewstalkZB Luxon won’t discuss polls with MPs, Labour quiet on whether CGT will include family home <[link removed]>

Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast Sam Warren: Taxpayers’ Union Local Government Campaigns Manager on rising property rates <[link removed]>

RNZ Christopher Luxon shrugs off polls showing tight electoral race <[link removed]>

NewstalkZB John MacDonald: Here’s why Luxon and Hipkins are neck-and-neck <[link removed]>

NewstalkZB “Just the basics”: Push for caps on rising council rates <[link removed]>

The Informer LETTERS – 12 August <[link removed]>

The Kākā Luxon said judge him on GDP growth. So voters are. <[link removed]>

RNZ Pressure builds on govt to recognise Palestinian statehood <[link removed]>

Stuff NZ is divided, the polls show. Who’s got your vote, and why? <[link removed]>

Marcus Lush Nights You almost need the tomahawk <[link removed]>

TVNZ John Campbell: Please, National and Labour, do something. Anything! <[link removed]>

Hawke’s Bay Today Poll suggests ‘hung’ Parliament

The Post Luxon’s leadership running out of oxygen as polls tighten <[link removed]>

The Platform NZNZ Elliot Ikilei On NZ's $66 Billion Covid Spending Report & Hobson’s Pledge Billboard <[link removed]>

Stuff NZ politics live: Swarbrick says Speaker’s ruling puts Parliament in ‘unprecedented territory’ <[link removed]>

NewstalkZB Nicola Willis hopeful despite Luxon’s popularity dropping in new poll <[link removed]>

NZCity The Finance Minister says the latest One-News Verian poll shows a fight is on <[link removed]>

RNZ The Panel with Allan Blackman and Aimie Hines Part 1 <[link removed]>

NZHerald New political poll: Christopher Luxon’s popularity drops to 2-year low, Labour’s party vote rises <[link removed]>

NewstalkZBNew poll: Luxon’s popularity drops to lowest in two years, Labour sees rise <[link removed]>

Otago Daily Times Support grows for Labour; govt still keeps reins: poll <[link removed]>

Heather de Plessis-Allen Drive Chris Hipkins: Labour leader on the new political poll predicting a hund Parliament ahead of the 2026 election <[link removed]>

The Press Second poll of the day sees surge for Labour <[link removed]>

NewstalkZB Election 2026: Hipkins hopeful as new poll predicts hung Parliament <[link removed]>

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