This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Connor sat down with National Party MP, Tom Rutherford. Tom was elected as the MP for the Bay of Plenty at the 2023 General Election. Prior to entering Parliament, Tom had worked for the National Party, in local government and also had volunteered as a firefighter in his local community. Tom is also a keen cricketer, rugby referee and hockey umpire. As o...

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Connor sat down with National Party MP, James Meager. James was elected as the MP for Rangitata at the 2023 General Election, reclaiming the seat from Labour with a significant majority. James is a Lawyer and also has a Bachelor of Arts. James made national headlines following his maiden speech where he spoke of his early life growing up as a Māori boy i...

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Connor sat down with National Party MP, Mike Butterick. Mike, a farmer and farming advocate, was elected as the MP for Wairarapa in the 2023 General Election. He has previously been involved with Federated Farmers and was the spokesperson for 50 Shades of Green, a lobby group addressing forestry encroachment on farmland. Mike is also active in community ...

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Connor sat down with ACT Party MP, Andrew Hoggard. Andrew is a Manawatu farmer, has an Agricultural Economics degree and, prior to entering Parliament, was the President of Federated Farmers. Andrew has stepped straight into the role as Minister for both Biosecurity and Food Safety along with a number of associate portfolios. In this interview, Andrew...

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Jordan sat down with National Party MP for Whanganui, Carl Bates. Carl joined the Young Nats aged just 12 and less than 30 years later was elected to Parliament as a National MP. Prior to entering politics, Carl had an interesting and successful career from an incredibly young age. Aged just 18, he was appointed as an independent director at an aged...

This week's Taxpayer Talk presents another installment of our "MPs in Depth" podcast series, delving into the backgrounds of Parliament's newest members. In this episode, Jordan sits down with Cameron Luxton, the recently elected ACT Party MP. Cameron Luxton is unique in that he is New Zealand's only Licensed Building Practitioner ever elected to Parliament. Prior to his political career, Luxton worked as both a builder and a dairy farmer. He shares with Jordan his personal journey,...

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Ollie sat down with National Party MP for Tukituki, Catherine Wedd. Catherine speaks about as a kid wanting to be a lawyer, journalist and a politician, something she now describes as "perhaps the three most unpopular professions of this century" – but at the election last year was able to fill the third leg of that dream. Catherine has also worked in...

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Ollie sat down with ACT Party MP Laura Trask. Laura is one of eleven ACT MPs elected at the 2023 General Election. Prior to entering Parliament, Laura worked as a pharmacy technician and in the health and safety industry. Trask discusses her career in helping people navigate bureaucratic red tape and her desire to make it easier for people to live...

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Ollie sat down with newly elected National Party MP, Dr Vanessa Weenink. Vanessa details her life before politics including her time working as a doctor, being in the Army for more than 20 years, and even previously being a Labour Party member and helping with a local campaign. Vanessa's maiden speech can be watched here. Follow Vanessa on Facebook...

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Jordan sat down with newly re-elected National Party MP, Dan Bidois. Dan first became an MP after winning the 2018 Northcote by-election before losing the seat to the red tide of 2020. Now Dan is back in Parliament after reclaiming his seat and speaks with Jordan about his life before politics being a school dropout, a butcher and fighting cancer...

This week on Taxpayer Talk is another episode in our MPs in Depth podcast series where we get to know Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Jordan sat down with newly elected National Party MP, Greg Fleming. Greg tells us about his journey into politics and how he formed his political ideology, starting with an egg business at age nine and eventually leading to his founding of the Maxim Institute think tank. This podcast gives a fascinating insight into what makes Greg tick and is well...

This episode of Taxpayer Talk is slightly different as it is a recording of a fantastic speech given by Lord Hannan at the Taxpayers' Union's 10th Birthday at Gibbs Farm. Lord Hannan is a member of the House of Lords and former member of the European Parliament. He is an advisor to the UK Board of Trade and is President of the Institute for Free Trade. In his speech, Lord Hannan discusses the Treaty of Waitangi as New Zealand's founding document and how ahead of its time it was in promoting...

This week marks the return of our MPs in Depth series where we get to know some of Parliament's new MPs. In this episode, Taxpayers' Union  Investigations Co-ordinator, Oliver Bryan, sits down with newly elected ACT Party MP, Todd Stephenson.  Todd grew up in the South Island and obtained a law degree from the University of Otago. Prior to becoming an MP, Todd worked in the pharmaceutical industry in Australia before moving back to New Zealand to run for Parliament.  Throughout the episode,...

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, sits down with lawyer Stephen Franks to provide an update on the Three Waters legal challenge. Stephen is a founding director of the commercial and public law firm Franks Ogilvie, a former member of Parliament and spokesperson for the Water Users' Group. Franks Ogilvie has been leading the legal challenge against Three Waters that, among other things, aimed to force the Minister of Local Government, Nanaia...

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, sits down with the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative, Dr Oliver Hartwich, to discuss how the incoming Government should reform the public service. Despite a mandate for change and a desire to unwind many of the policies of the previous Government, the new National-led government may face challenges with navigating the complex and bloated bureaucracy of the public service – something that may prove...

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, sits down with economist Michael Reddell. Michael is a former Head of Financial Markets at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, has worked for central banks of a number of other countries and has been an Alternate Executive Director on the Board of the International Monetary Fund. Michael has recently been raising concerns around the seemingly declining standards in New Zealand public life. Whether it be Ministers...

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, sits down with Dr Don Brash to discuss Labour’s proposal to remove GST from fruit and vegetables. Dr Brash chaired the advisory committee that designed New Zealand’s GST system back in 1985 and has a strong understanding of what makes a simple, efficient tax system. Don has also been Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, the leader of both the National and ACT parties, and is currently the spokesperson...

A radical set of new anti-smoking measures is set to bring New Zealand close to a de facto prohibition on smoking. But with the black market rearing its head, what is the real cost of this crackdown for taxpayers, businesses and the economy? A major new analysis of Ayesha Verrall's Smoked Tobacco Amendment outlines $1.3 billion in new costs, and argues the legislation is "largely, if not entirely, redundant". This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union spokesman for lifestyle economics...

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, sits down with Casey Costello, a former chair and board member of the Taxpayers’ Union who recently resigned in order to stand as a candidate for New Zealand First in this year's election. Casey has had a successful career in the police force, running her own business and as the spokesperson for Hobson’s Pledge. Jordan and Casey discuss how Casey got involved in the Taxpayers’ Union including her time as a...

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, sits down with National Party Police Spokesperson, Mark Mitchell, to discuss National’s plan for law and order if they are successful in the election later this year. Prior to entering Parliament, Mark was a police officer and was a member of the Dog Section and Armed Offender’s Squad. He has also had an international business career, including the start-up of his own company specialising in hostage rescue,...

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, sits down with Malcolm Alexander and Stephen Franks to discuss the bill that the Taxpayers' Union commissioned to repeal and replace the Government’s Three Waters scheme. The development of the bill, along with detailed drafting of key provisions, has been a months-long project carried out by the law firm Franks Ogilvie. Malcolm Alexander has a background in local government, infrastructure, consulting and law...

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, sits down with Taxpayers’ Union co-founder, pollster and blogger, David Farrar to discuss how polling works along with his time at the Taxpayers’ Union and why he is stepping down. David founded Curia Market Research, a polling company, in 2004 and has had decades of experience organising, conducting and analysing polls. In this podcast, David answers some of the most common questions we get about how polling...

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, sits down with National Party MP, Chris Bishop, to discuss the Government's proposed replacement to the Resource Management Act (RMA) and what National would do with resource management if elected. Chris Bishop is National's spokesperson for RMA reform, Infrastructure and Housing and has been leading National's opposition to the contentious RMA reforms. The National Party have committed to repealing the...

This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Campaigns Manager, Callum Purves, sits down with ACT Party MP, Simon Court, to discuss the recent Three Waters rebrand, the proposed resource management reforms and what ACT is proposing to solve New Zealand's significant infrastructure and planning problems. Simon Court is ACT's spokesperson for infrastructure, the environment and local government and has been leading their response to the contentious Three Waters and RMA reforms. Prior to...