How We Are Fighting The War On Government Waste And Making The Case For Tax Cuts In 2017

ING T H G I F E R A E W HOW

N O R A THE W E N T M N R E V GO

E T S WA

OR F E S A C THE G N I K A AND M

S T U C X TA 7 1 0 IN 2

Your Money, Your Voice Promoting sensible restraint of government expenditure

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In the time it takes to read this sentence, the government has spent $22,197 of taxpayers’ money.

We are the group making sure that every cent counts.

New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Incorporated 04 282 0300 enquiries@taxpayers.org.nz www.taxpayers.org.nz facebook.com/nztaxpayers

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twitter.com/TaxpayersUnion

The Taxpayers’ Union was publicly launched on 30 October 2013. This report covers activities in the 12 months ending 31 October 2016.

Now is the time to get New Zealand on to a more competitive & prosperous path We founded the Taxpayers’ Union in 2013 to stand up for hard-working taxpayers like you. We represent your interests to Ministers, MPs and the media to stop your taxes being squandered by bloated government.

This document outlines some of our work to date, and our plans for 2017 – our fourth year.

While much has been achieved in our first three years it doesn’t stop wasteful spending or high taxes. The only victories that interest us are the delivered policy changes that actually benefit you, the taxpayer.

That is why our reports, our activities, and our campaigns are to draw attention to the fact that you spend your money better than the politicians and bureaucrats sitting in Wellington and at your local town hall.

David Farrar Co-Founder

The following pages detail our most recent achievements, including defeating Auckland Council’s “Taniwha Tax” – which was dropped from the Unitary Plan. In Auckland, our offshoot, the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance has more members than the whole New Zealand Labour Party. All that for an organisation which was launched only in April 2015.

We hope you are as proud of our achievements as we are, because they could not have happened without your support. With your ongoing support in the year ahead, we will grow our supporter base into the largest political organisation in New Zealand – an army fighting for lower taxes.

The current Government has done a good job keeping spending under control, and the exceptional circumstances of the Global Financial Crisis and the Canterbury Earthquakes have meant that tax cuts prior to now were fiscally difficult. Now that the books are in surplus, we believe it is time for the Government to allocate a significant amount of the surplus to tax cuts rather than increased spending.

Through fiscal drag (or “bracket creep”) every year New Zealanders are paying a slightly higher proportion of their income in tax than the year before. It means worker earning the median full-time wage, who paid $7,132 in tax at an average rate of 15.4% in 2010, now pays $9,148 in tax at an average tax rate of 17.0%. The same worker’s marginal tax rate in 2010 of 17.5% has crept up to 30%.

CO FOUNDERS FOREWORD

The Taxpayers’ Union is the primary independent voice for fiscal restraint and is receiving more media coverage than any other pressure group on the centre-right. Despite our relatively small size, modest budget, and a crowded political environment, our campaigns enjoy more than 20,000 members and supporters.

In effect this is a stealth tax hike on your inflation driven income. At minimum, the Government should be budgeting changes to income tax thresholds to reflect inflation and average wage growth. That would bring a worker earning the median full-time wage back to the average level of income tax he or she paid in 2010.

New Zealanders were teased with the possibility of tax cuts in the last Parliamentary term, and if the Government is not going to deliver them in the 2017 Budget, then why should people believe they’ll get them in a fourth term John Key led Government? If Winston Peters holds the balance of power after the election, the opportunity to deliver meaningful tax relief will probably be lost.

It has therefore never been more important for the voice of the Taxpayers’ Union to be heard loud and clear as we seek to make our political leaders do the right things by current and future taxpayers.

That is why you have in your hands our plan to continue fighting government waste and make the case for tax cuts in 2017. I hope you will read it, and support us as we seek to implement it.

David Farrar Co-Founder

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The media is dominated by groups wanting politicians to spend more.

We’re the guys standing in front of the speeding train saying STOP! The media is dominated by groups whose policies demand more spending funded by taxpayers and ratepayers. We expose government waste, resist groups that constantly demand more spending for their pet causes, and create a public climate that demands less wasteful spending and lower taxes.

CO FOUNDERS FOREWORD 4

Our efforts highlight and reduce the public’s tolerance of low quality and unnecessary government spending. We do this by relentlessly championing the interests of those who fund central and local government.

The Taxpayers’ Union remains independent of all political parties and will never become one.

Our ‘Waste Watch’ campaign lifts the veil of secrecy from wasteful spending and demands better value for money from proposed spending initiatives by the government, councils, political parties and other lobby groups. Due to an absence of other groups campaigning for fiscal responsibility, many of these stories would not have become public without our efforts.

Jordan Williams Executive Director

We operate a 24-hour media line for comment on taxpayer issues.

We also operate a ‘Tip Line’ for members of the public to submit examples of wasteful government spending – some of our best exposés have come from insiders and bureaucrats using this service.

We are not a think tank. We rely on the good work done by traditional think tanks, but communicate their ideas to a wider audience. Therefore, our target market isn’t the intellectual elite in Wellington – we’re here to capture the talkback audience. Our value is our ability to influence the public debate, and the politicians who must respond to it.

Our campaigns:

• • • • • • •

scrutinise government spending; expose and fight government waste; demand more accountability from the politicians and bureaucrats who spend our money; fight for lower taxes to enable people to keep more of their own earnings; make clear that citizens are better with their own money than politicians and bureaucrats; organise taxpayers so they have an effective voice in the corridors of power; and champion the benefits of an efficient tax system and public policies which advance New Zealanders’ prosperity.

John Key keeps to the political centre.

That’s why we have to move it.

Policy Impact: Phase 1: Solid Research

$80

57% 43%

TAX + FUEL

Tip line: Our online ‘Tip Line’ sees members of the public and government insiders blowing the whistle on government waste every day. From these tips, our research team gets to work with information requests filed under the Official Information Act (OIA).

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Research papers: Reports based on primary research - such as systematic OIA requests - and detailed analysis lay the foundation of our campaigns.

Expert advisors: We work with economists, industry, and outside experts to make sure our work is accurate, authentic, and hard hitting.

Phase 2: Strategic communications Media events: ‘Government waste award ceremonies’ and ‘Fuel tax refund’ events attract attention to our campaign messages.

Radio and TV: Spokespeople appear on national radio and TV news bulletins and panels every week, including Newstalk ZB; Radio LIVE; TVNZ’s Q&A; as well as frequent appearances on 6pm news bulletins.

Website, Twitter and Facebook: Tools such as Facebook and Twitter are an increasingly powerful way of engaging with new audiences, particularly young people. We were the first political organisation in New Zealand to fully implement the Nationbuilder platform - the international gold standard in online campaign organisational software. Since then, Labour, the Greens, National, ACT, and numerous campaign groups, have followed our lead.

Phase 3: Sustained campaigning

Policy impact

24-hour media line: We pride ourselves in being available to comment on stories as they break so that the perspective of hardworking taxpayers is never forgotten.

Lobbying Parliament: Talking directly to MPs, Ministers and officials is vital to build their support for changes in policy. We regularly engage with all three, and often appear at Parliament to give submissions at Select Committees.

Building coalitions: We often join forces with other groups - both here and overseas - to build broader support for our policy objectives.

Organising activists: Grassroots activists can fight local campaigns and ensure our message of fiscal prudence is engaging with every level of government and trusted local media. Lawmakers hearing from individual constituents is powerful tool we used in our campaigns.

Results:

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Taxpayers’ Union Board: John Bishop

David Farrar

Chairman*

John has a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Canterbury and Diplomas in Management from Henley College in the UK, and from the Institute of Corporate Managers in New Zealand.

John has extensive experience in broadcast journalism and corporate communications, and was Chief Parliamentary Reporter for Television New Zealand in the mid 80s, reporting on the fall of Sir Robert Muldoon and the rise and fall of the Lange government.

Co-founder*

David is the owner and director of Curia Market Research which he founded in 2004. Curia is a specialist opinion polling and research agency.

In 2009 The Listener ranked David as the fourth most powerful person in the New Zealand media. He is well known as the editor of the popular Kiwiblog which started in 2003. Kiwiblog receives around 600,000 visits a month. David also is a frequent political commentator on TV1, TV3, Radio New Zealand, Newstalk ZB and Radio Live.

Meet the Team

Jordan Williams

Gabrielle O’Brien

Executive Director & Co-founder

Jordan manages the day-to-day operations of the Union and Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance, has bachelor degrees in law and accounting from Victoria University of Wellington, is a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, and in 2011 was spokesperson for Vote for Change, a lobby group that campaigned against the retention of the MMP electoral system.

Director*

Gabrielle has worked in the software industry for over 10 years helping customers manage and gain insights from data. She spent 5 years in Wellington working with government departments before moving to Auckland to manage accountings in the financial sector focusing on fraud, risk and reserving.

Gabrielle attended Auckland university where she studied New Zealand Politics and Maori.

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance Jo Holmes

Ratepayers’ Alliance Spokesperson Jo Holmes was the Deputy Chair of the first Waiheke Local Board under the Auckland Super City and recently Chaired the Waiheke Businesswomens’ Group. Jo has no political party affiliations and her professional background is publishing.

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Carmel Claridge Ratepayers’ Alliance Volunteer Cooordinator

Carmel has lived in Auckland for over 30 years and is extensively involved in local community projects. She has a background in Law and Property Management.

Carmel was recently elected on to the Orakei Local Board. *The Chairman, board and Ratepayers’ Alliance personnel are volunteers

Staff and Interns: Campaigns Coordinator Ben holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from Victoria University of Wellington. Ben has previously worked as a Parliamentary researcher for the New Zealand First Party and has worked in several public sector advisory roles. He recently took up a new position at the New Zealand Initiative.

Matthew Rhodes Researcher

Matthew is one of our parttime researchers and is close to completing a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in political science and history at Victoria University of Wellington. Matt is from Christchurch and helps with our Official Information requests and communications.

Madeleine Harris Research Intern

Madeleine was a student at Victoria University of Wellington and recently completed bachelor degrees in law and commerce (economics major).

Madeleine’s focus at the Taxpayers’ Union has been on local government and areas of research which involve legal history.

Moritz Miersch Research Intern

Moritz is a Business Administration student at the Ludwig-MaximiliansUniversität, Munich, Germany, who completed a two-month research internship at the Taxpayers’ Union as part of his studies. That work included financial performance analysis of local government agencies.

Jim Rose

Research Fellow Jim Rose has worked at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. the NZ Treasury, and in Canberra for the Productivity Commission, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Department of Finance. Jim has Masters degrees in economics and in public policy He blogs at www.utopiayouarestandinginit.com

Joshua Riddiford Researcher

Joshua Riddiford is a former analysist at the Office of Treaty Settlements and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Victoria University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Jounalism from Massey University. Joshua no longer has a professional association with the Taxpayers’ Union as he moved on to become a journalist earlier in the year.

Abigail Bridges Research Intern

Abigail is one of our parttime research interns and is studying toward her Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce and Administration at Victoria University in Wellington.

Abi is from Auckland, and also assists with the administration of our sister organisation, the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance.

Meet the Team

Ben Craven

Ryan Soares Research Intern Mannkal Scholar

Ryan is a final year commerce student (economics and finance) at Curtin University in Perth, Australia who joined the Taxpayers’ Union team on a Mannkal Economics Foundation Scholarship internship.

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The War on Waste campaign is the backbone of our activity.

It reminds the public that they are better stewards of their hard earned money than wasteful politicians and bureaucrats.

War on Waste

“You sound like you’wreing spending like a left party.” y Radio NZ’s Katherine

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War on Waste

ple to “They want peosp ending dobb in dodgy at’s how on a tip line - th story” they found this

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Our video tour of MFAT’s $6.2m Hawaiian mansion lead both Stuff and the New Zelaland Herald websites - resulting in more than 30,000 views.

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Labour’s proposal for universal hand-out We forced the Labour Party to backtrack on its proposal for a “Universal Basic Income” (UBI). We revealed that for the claims that existing beneficiaries would not be made worse off under the proposal policy, a UBI would need to be at least $300 per week – equivalent to the current average level of benefits. According to work by The Treasury, to pay for such a policy a flat income tax of between 45% and 56% would need to be introduced (assuming other taxes stayed equal). The Labour Party haven’t floated the policy idea since!

Policy Victory 10

re-introduction of 10-year passports Our briefing paper on the cost and validity of New Zealand passports was released at the same time as our presentation to the Parliamentary Select Committee considering a petition to return to a ten year regime.

The Taxpayers’ Union showed that the New Zealand passport was the most expensive in the world on a per year basis.

We also exposed the Passport Office’s operational surplus resulting from charging more than is necessary for too long. We explained why New Zealand is swimming against the tide, with Canada, China and the Netherlands all recently increasing their passport validities to ten years.

Our briefing paper was cited in questions by journalists put to the Prime Minister John Key, and Minister of Internal Affairs Peter Dunne and as a result of the campaign the Government re-introduced ten year passports in November 2015.

Corporate Welfare In an annual series of reports, Jim Rose has tracked the cost of corporate welfare under the current government. The campaign regularly attracts coverage in the press and on talkback radio. Based on the 2016 Budget, spending on corporate welfare is $1.36 billion this year, up from $1.2 billion in 2014/15. That is the equivalent to $803 and $723 respectively per household.

If corporate welfare was abolished, enough money would be saved to reduce the corporate tax rate from 28% to 22.5%, if applied to personal income tax rates, would allow the 30% and 33% rates to be lowered to 29%.

lfare seldom “Corporate wgeood or fair represents a d ratepayers’ use of tax an money.” ce r of Commer Chambene Aucklanicdha tt ar B el CEO, M

“I welcome the Taxpayers’ Union efforts in this area”

sh Labour MP, Stuart Na

Corporate Welfare

Governments picking winners and losers always means taxpayers are left holding the bag. We believe the government should be focused on promoting entrepreneurship, not grantrepreneurship. The best way to do that is to lower taxes – so that incentives are increased across the board and everyone is treated equally.

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Taniwha Tax The Taxpayers’ Union and Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance joined forces with Democracy Action and the Auckland Property Investors Association to expose and defeat the Mana Whenua ‘cultural impact assessment’ provisions in Auckland Council’s Proposed Unitary Plan.

Without our campaign, most affected property owners would never have become aware of the provisions until they suddenly found there was a designated site on or near their land, or when they were told when applying for a resource consent that Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) may be required. The original provisions required property owners to negotiate with up to nineteen Mana Whenua groups in order to gain a resource consent, and meant that consents could have been subject to expensive modifications, even if the reasons were entirely spiritual in nature.

We uncovered documents which showed the Council wasn’t even sure some of the 3,600 sites deemed ‘of value’ existed.

Officials never bothered to check.

The Independent Panel which reviewed the Unitary Plan agreed with all of our points, and recommended to Councillors that both the identified sites of value, and the cultural impact assessment requirements be scrapped from the Plan. While some of the recommendations were resisted by the Council’s own staff, Councillors accepted the recommendations from the Panel and axed the Taniwha Tax!

Policy Victory 12

Lifestyle taxes & taxpayer funded lobbying We are often called on by the media to comment on lobbying efforts to convince the government to impose new taxes on things like sugar and plastic bags. Many of the organisations pushing for new taxes in these areas are taxpayer funded – even when the majority of taxpayers do not agree with the cause.

funded “We resist the taxpayergh er groups that promote hicostly taxes, less choice, and regulation.”

Gabrielle O’Brien

Our report on smoking taxes showed the extent to which smokers are being used as cashcows with much of that money being wasted despite it being taken from the poorest members of society. Smokers already pay more than three times the health costs of their habit. Counterintuitively, despite the increases in taxes on cigarettes (taxes now account for around $16 for a $20 pack) those in the lowest socioeconomic groups have been least responsive to the higher prices. That means families are going without. The tobacco excise tax hikes in Budget 2016 alone amount to $425 million of additional revenue for the Government over the next four years. That’s equivalent to nearly half the current surplus.

If the politicians were genuine in their claims that hiking tobacco taxes is solely a health measure, they would either reduce other taxes equal to the tax hikes, or legalise the sale of nicotine e-cigarettes – which according to a study for the British Government are thought to be 95% less harmful than traditional cigarettes.

Lifestyle taxes

In the case of soda taxes we were the first in the world to publicly release Nielsen sales data from Mexico, where a tax of one peso per litre was put in place. While generating significant revenue, the tax has impacted sale volumes by less than 0.2%. In addition, New Zealanders caloric intake attributable from sodas is only 1.6%. Experience from the Danish ‘fat tax’ suggests that while being highly regressive, those over consuming are the least responsive to the taxes.

Government funds lobbyists

Lobbyists influence the government to increase excise taxes

Revenue from taxpayers goes to the government

Taxpayers pay more for tobacco

Excise Tax GST Manufacturing cost supply, distribution, and retail margin.

67% 13% 20%

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Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance In April 2015 we launched our Auckland sister organisation – the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance – dedicated to fighting for ‘Reasonable Rates and Sensible Spending’ in the Super City. Thanks to Len Brown’s 9.9% rate hikes, and countless examples of wasteful spending by Auckland Council, the Ratepayers’ Alliance has more that 16,000 members from across the region – making it Auckland’s largest advocacy group.

While the Taxpayers’ Union assists with the Ratepayers’ Alliance day-to-day operations and administration, the group is financially independent and has its own spokespeople (all of whom are volunteers).

More than 300 volunteers participated in our 2016 pre-election activities – including delivering of “Have your rates gone up?” leaflets and election voting guides identifying candidates who had signed the Ratepayers’ Alliance “Ratepayer Protection Pledge”.

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance 14

Immediate results from shining the light on Council spending The Ratepayers’ Alliance exposed a previously secret plan by the Council to build new Council meeting chambers in its Albert Street HQ – when perfectly good chambers are a four-minute walk away at the old Town Hall.

The cost of the new chamber was estimated to be between three and ten million dollars. After questions from the Ratepayers’ Alliance, and coverage on consecutive nights on One News, the plan was quashed.

Election 2016 results: Majority committed to fiscal prudence The efforts of the Ratepayers’ Alliance meant that, despite the National Party backed “Auckland Future” ticket failing to fire, a majority of Councillors elected have committed to fiscal prudence. The campaign also held to account those sitting councillors who voted in 2015 for Len Brown’s 9.9% rates hike.

The Ratepayers’ Alliance campaign efforts and leaflet drops in the Rodney ward saw Len Brown’s former Chairperson of the Strategy and Finance Committee, Penny Webster, booted off the Council and replaced with Greg Sayers. Cr Webster had claimed to champion fiscal prudence when, in fact, she was one of the ‘Terrible Ten’ that allowed the 2015 9.9% rate hikes. The group’s efforts helped elect a Councillor for Rodney who signed the 2% “Ratepayer Protection Pledge”.

A majority (of the new Council of 20) have either signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge or made an equivalent 2% pledge. That means that Phil Goff’s Council have committed to no more than 2% annual rate hikes for this term.

More than 100,000 leaflets were delivered to identify candidates who supported for Len Brown’s 9.9% rate hikes, and those who signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance

Also rolled was Calum Penrose (Manurewa-Papakura ward) – another one of the ‘Terrible Ten’.

success “Congratuations on your ghlighting in the Rodney Ward, hior for Penny Webster’s supp d tthe 9.9% rate increases an waste introduction of rubbish charges. ” pporter

Greg Sayers - Member & Su

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Will you join us in giving New Zealand taxpayers a voice?

You can’t save the world if you can’t pay the rent.

You have the power to change who influences politics in our country: left leaning media personalities, big unions, big corporations and government-funded special interest groups can be challenged by the contributions of thousands of individual taxpayers who care to make a difference.

Chairman’s comments

Every extra dollar donated is used to bring more public attention to our causes and hold government to account.

Government funded special interest groups have a voice. What about the taxpayers who pay for all this? Whether taxpayers have a voice is in the hands of those who voluntarily donate and support the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union morally and financially.

Our track record shows that we can deliver.

Pushing back against wasteful and ridiculous spending, opposing wasteful corporate welfare handouts, fighting the implementation of new taxes, and shining the light on runaway spending in local government are just a few campaigns led by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

Your donation makes sure these and other taxpayer concerns are heard by decision makers.

Right now an incredible 41% of the economy is absorbed by government. In the lead up to the 2017 election, our work will be to identify low priority spending, to question the status quo and expose rorts. We need to give those in Wellington the political headroom to reprioritize, reduce expenditure, and to be firm about cutting programmes that don’t deliver measurable results for the taxpayers’ investment.

The Board has resolved that the focus for the next 12 months will be to ensure that the public understand how prudent tax cuts can be achieved without risking the surplus, or the Kaikoura rebuild. Meaningful tax relief will also give the economy a useful boost – and that could be important if, as expected, the economy starts to slow down a bit.

Can we count on your support?

The best way to cut taxes is to cut spending – your support will allow our work to expose government waste to continue. In addition we want to work to increase the accountability of groups receiving taxpayer funding, and keep shining light on the local government sector. We have a menu of campaign projects that are set to launch with your support. All of them are important and most of them can be undertaken as standalone projects. They won’t happen without you, and people like you, digging deep and making the work of the Taxpayers’ Union possible.

John Bishop Chairman

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Debit Authority Form Merchant: New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Incorporated.

Flo2Cash Merchant ID: 21838

We’ve worked really hard over the last year, but 2017 – an election year – is just as important. The Taxpayers’ Union needs the resources to speak even more strongly on behalf of taxpayers when the inevitable calls for more spending (often from taxpayer-funded vested interests) in the lead up to the election. Your donation will help balance the debate and make it harder for those trying to bribe voters with other people's money.

If you like what you have read and can make a donation to support the continuing work of the Taxpayers’ Union, please fill in this form and return it to us via freepost to: New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union, Freepost for Lower Taxes, PO Box 10518, The Terrace, Wellington 6143.

A. Your Details: First name: Last Name: Company name (if applicable): Address: Telephone: Mobile: Email: If you are willing to make introductions to like-minded New Zealander's who share our values, please tick here: All donations are confidential and are not required to be publicly disclosed, however if you wish to be acknowledged as a donor / supporter on our website please tick here:

B. Contribution: I/we wish to make a contribution as a: One-off donation:

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* For donations of less than $250 (one-off) or $30 per month, please use our credit card facility at: www.taxpayers.org.nz/donate Payment date(s): One-off donations are processed on the 15th of the month following the date of this authorisation.

Monthly donations are processed on the 15th of each month, beginning on the month following the date of this authorisation.

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AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT DIRECT DEBITS (not to operate as an agreement or assignment) Authorisation Code

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I authorise you to debit my account with the amounts of direct debits, with the authorisation code specified on this authority, from Flo2Cash Limited on behalf of the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Incorporated in accordance with this authority until further notice. I agree that this authority is subject to my bank’s terms and conditions that relate to my account, and the specific terms and conditions listed overleaf.

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General (a) Flo2Cash may vary these Terms and Conditions from time to time by posting any changes on Flo2Cash’s website: www.flocash.co.nz. Any variations to these Terms and Conditions will be effective 14 days after posting on Flo2Cash’s website. (b) Flo2Cash may terminate this Direct Debit arrangement and cease to provide its direct debit services to the Customer at any time by written notice. (c) Flo2Cash may communicate with the Customer by phone (automated phone messaging) or in writing. For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions writing shall include txt or SMS messaging, email or mail) This service agreement is governed by the laws of New Zealand

CONDITIONS OF THIS DIRECT DEBIT AUTHORITY 1. The Initiator (New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Incorporated): (a) Undertakes to give notice to the Acceptor of the commencement date, frequency and amount at least 10 calendar days (but not more than 2 calendar months) before the first Direct Debit is drawn. This notice will be provided either: (i) in writing: or (ii) by electronic mail where the Customer has provided prior written consent to the Initiator. (b) May, upon the relationship which gives rise to this Authority being terminated, give notice to the Bank that no further Direct Debits are to be initiated under the Authority. Upon receipt of such notice the Bank may terminate this Authority as to future payments by notice in writing to me/us.

2. The Customer (Donor): (a) May, at any time, terminate this Authority as to future payments by giving written notice of termination to the Bank and to the Initiator by means agreed to by the Customer, Bank and Initiator. (b) May stop payment of any Direct Debit to be initiated under this Authority by the Initiator by giving written notice to the Bank prior to the Direct Debit being paid by the Bank. (c) May request the Bank to reverse or alter any such Direct Debit initiated by the Initiator, by debiting the amount of the reversal or alteration of a Direct Debit back to the Initiator through the Initiator’s Bank, where a variation to the amount and frequency agreed between the Initiator and the Customer to be direct debited has been made without notice being given in terms of clause 1(a), PROVIDED such a request is made not more than 120 days after the date when the Direct Debit was debited to my/our account.

3. The Customer (donor) acknowledges that: (a) This Authority will remain in full force and effect in respect of all Direct Debits passed to my/ our account in good faith notwithstanding my/our death, bankruptcy or other revocation of this Authority until actual notice of such event is received by the Bank. (b) Any dispute as to the correctness or validity of an amount debited to my/our account shall

accordance with this Authority. Any other disputes lie between me/us and the Initiator (c) Where the Bank has used reasonable care and skill in acting in accordance with this Authority, the Bank accepts no responsibility or liability in respect of: - the accuracy of information about Direct Debits on Bank statements - any variations between notices given by the Initiator and the amounts of Direct Debits. (d) The Bank is not responsible for, or under any liability in respect of, the Initiator’s failure to give notice in accordance with clause 1(a), nor for the non-receipt or late receipt of notice by me/us for any reason whatsoever. In any situation the dispute lies between me/us and the Initiator. (e) Notice given by the Initiator in terms of clause 1(a) to the customer responsible for the payments shall be valid. Any communication necessary because the customer responsible for the payment is a person other than me/us is a matter between me/us and the debtor concerned.

4. The Bank may: (a) In its absolute discretion conclusively determine the order of priority of payment by it of any monies pursuant to this or any other Authority, cheque or draft properly executed by me/us and given to or drawn on the Bank. (b) At any time terminate this Authority as to future payments by notice in writing to me/us. (c) Charge its current fees for this service in force from time to time.

PRIVACY STATEMENT By completing this form: - I acknowledge that the information will be provided to the Initiatior, Flo2Cash and their nominated call centre, and the nominated bank.

- I agree that the Initiatior and Flo2Cash may retain this information for the purposes of effecting the donations pledged, and to continue and improve their fundraising activities.

I understand that I am entitled to access and request correction of any personal information that the Initiatior holds about me.

not be the concern of the Bank except in so far as the Direct Debit has not been paid in

TAXPAYERS' UNION TERMS AND CONDITIONS Membership of the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Incorporated (“Taxpayers’ Union”) is open to any individual or organisation who supports the aims and objectives of the Taxpayers’ Union. The Board of the Taxpayers’ Union in its sole discretion shall have the right to refuse membership to, or to cancel the membership of, any person consistent with the rules of the Taxpayers’ Union registered with the Registrar of Incorporated Societies.

Members and non-members are encouraged to donate to the Taxpayers’ Union to finance its operations and campaigns but the choice of the causes, campaigns and policy positions remains at the sole discretion of the Board of the Taxpayers’ Union.

All donations and membership payments are subject to the terms and conditions available online at http://www.taxpayers.org.nz/terms.

What others are saying: “I have watched in admiration as the Taxpayers’ Union has become the automatic ‘go-to’ organisation when the media want a reaction to some public sector extravagance. It’s great to see a voice clearly arguing against the waste of taxpayers’ resources.”

- Don Brash

“I like it” - Leighton Smith “Outrageously stupid” - Hone Harawira “It’s a counter to the busybody organisations that seem to full the airwaves demanding more” - Andrew Herd

“There’s so many lobby groups for all these different types of extra spending, but there wasn’t one group for the poor old taxpayer.”

- Ali Moore

“Prolific” - National Business Review

How your donation can help us make an impact: $20,000 Producing league tables comparing the performance of local councils. $15,000 Producing a major research project investigating government waste. $10,000 Event to launch a new campaign and host international speaker. $5,000 Making a hard-hitting YouTube video. $2,500 Producing a briefing paper to draw media attention to an issue. $1,000 Research and analysis to cost a spending proposal.

Our ‘fuel-tax cash give-away’ cost less than $1,000 but resulted in more than 400,000 Seven Sharp viewers learning that 43% of the pump price is tax.

$500

Hosting a media event to launch a campaign.

$250

Distributing a major report to MPs.

If there is a specific project or campaign you would like to sponsor, please contact our Executive Director on (04) 282 0301

Ways to give to the Taxpayers’ Union There are several ways in which you can make a donation to the Taxpayers’ Union: •

Via internet banking deposit to: NZ Taxpayers’ Union 03-0539-0390321-000 or Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance 03-0502-0288497-000

•

By sending cheque made payable to: “NZ Taxpayers’ Union Incorporated” to PO Box 10518, The Terrace, Wellington 6143 or “Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance Ltd” to PO Box 133099, Eastridge, Auckland 1146.

•

Set up a standing order to make a regular donation. Please send an email to enquiries@taxpayers.org.nz.

•

Via our websites at www.taxpayers.org.nz/donate and www.ratepayers.nz/donate

Whatever you can afford it will help us make a real difference – thank you!

All donations are confidential and are not required to be publicly disclosed.

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