The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Prime Minister’s comments in Question Time (09:18) today that local government should be working with central government to lessen the burden on taxpayers and ratepayers.
Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “The Prime Minister is now saying what we have said since the start of the lock-down. With the current economic carnage, now is not the time to increase the financial burden on Kiwi households and businesses.”
“It’s not often the Prime Minister is more financially conservative than her humble Taxpayers’ Union, but today she suggested that the financial burden of councils should be ‘lessened’. That would mean a rates cut. This recommendation goes further than our rates freeze campaign, but it’s a signal that Labour-led councils such as Auckland cannot now ignore.”
To our knowledge, four KCDC councilors are Labour Party members — will they heed their leader? —Eds
And in the same voice Hon. Min. Phil Twyford warned any councils that make rates increase reductions in response to COVID19 will loose part or all of their Government funding……….can’t win, if we are looking to the Coalition Government for guidance.