Taxpayers Union Running Interference In Local Council Elections
Taxpayers Union Running Interference In Local Council Elections
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8:41 am, September 9th, 2025 - 2 comments
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Tobacco and Atlas Network linked Taxpayers Union appears to be pressuring local councillors to sign a Taxpayers Union “pledge”.
Here is what it looks like:
The group has reportedly sent this to local Council candidates around the country over the last weeks.
By identifying who is willing to align with them, I can only assume they will run general attack ads against those who will not commit to such a “pledge”.
Indeed, in accompanying letters sent by the organisation 71 year former sports broadcaster Peter Williams sends this from a @taxpayers.org.nz address.
And in a more recent email from David Farrar, owner of Curia Market Research, we see Farrar claim Greens voters support their pledge ideas.
Is this acceptable politiking in our country now?
This is the same group which championed the attack on 3 Waters which is causing many councils to hike rates by at least a third across NZ and contributed many councils to get credit downgrades (hiking fees even more)
The fact is though, this is in National’s & ACT’s interests, in my opinion.
I think that their play is this:
- Identify and promote friendly candidates to take over local councils, irrespective of credentials and character (this is via support such as outlined above e.g. posters, advertisements etc).
- Simon Watts will propose the rates cap bill later in the year to suppress rates and investment across NZ, while claiming this is in Kiwis’ best interests.
- If they have sufficient support from within local councils, this will make it politically easier for the govt to get their way without appearing to subvert local democracy.
- “Their” friendly Councillors can also work for them organically from within Councils and antagonise local politics as needed
- Chris Bishop has brought in folks like Steve Joyce etc to progress his plans to “encourage” local councils to sell off local assets
- As Councils rely primarily on rates to run, once National ties their hands, and local councils are stacked with their people, it will be much easier to encourage sale of local council assets to friends, developers, donors, insiders etc.
- There are other things in play right now too e.g. LGNZ and other bodies are being systematically undermined by politicians like Nick Smith etc in partnership with Jordan Williams etc. to ensure they can’t work in the best interests of their members.
ODT ran an article on this too, which revealed high pressure techniques – 17 emails to some candidates, in what is being called “bullying and intimidation tactics”
Personally I’m not sure that this is the type of politics we want in the country but that’s just me.
Are you prepared for this, Aotearoa New Zealand?
Well it ain't hard for the alternative candidates to show the assets and services people get by paying their $$$$ rates.
Seriously local governments deliver so much, but even at LTP time most find it hard to say what people get for their money.
Simple example: does anyone know how much it costs to put in 1km of local road? Or the full 3 water cost of an average house per year?
Councils should be able to say what people are paying for, and make it worth their while.
A pledge extracted by force should not be binding. In this case presumably the force is the threat of not being elected if a candidate does not sign. If someone were to point this out then all candidates could sign, and the TU’s efforts would be rendered ineffectual.