We’ve uncovered yet another Cannes Film Festival junket, our latest Bribe-O-Meter update suggests the politicians aren’t getting a grip on reality, and a grim milestone is looming for the official New Zealand Government Debt Clock.

Also, we’re off to Hawke’s Bay next week for our next electorate debate (with a quick Debt Clock stop at the A&P show too).

But first, we’re heading to the French Riviera …

Film Commission’s French junket trilogy: $610,000 and counting

Back in 2024, our Investigations Team exposed that the New Zealand Film Commission spent more than $145,000 sending four staff to the Cannes Film Market in the south of France.

Apparently, that was just the opening act…

Last year, the bill climbed to around $255,904.

Some film franchises really should have stopped after the first instalment.

Now, our Investigative Lead Rhys Hurley has uncovered *another* $208,747.92 spent sending four staff (and a very lucky ‘contractor’) to Cannes for 13 days earlier this year.

That’s $610,000 of taxpayer money on junkets study trips to the French Riviera in just three years.

And while the Commission’s Chief Executive insisted last year, “You won’t see any photos of us drinking because there’s no time,” this year’s expenses included a rather impressive $4,180 booze bill!

Cheers!

But the spending doesn’t stop at the plane tickets and glasses of wine.

The films being showcased at Cannes had already received more than $12 million in taxpayer funding, including $1.99 million for, errr, iconic(?) New Zealand films, including Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant (described by a Mashable review as “one of the strangest films I’ve seen in at least the last decade”) and nearly $2.4 million for Big Girls Don’t Cry (a film exploring queer adolescence).

Five people, thirteen days in France and a $208,000 bill. Sounds like the plot of a taxpayer-funded comedy.

If the Commission can’t demonstrate that these trips deliver value, perhaps it’s time to roll the credits on Cannes junkets.

And speaking of opening the books, Rhys has also been pushing to bring Parliament under the same scrutiny…

Open the Books: Hipkins backs OIA scrutiny of Parliament

In a win for the Taxpayers’ Union, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has backed extending the Official Information Act (OIA) to cover Parliament, following a question from our Investigative Lead, Rhys Hurley.

It’s a welcome development for our Open the Books campaign, which has been pushing to end Parliament’s carve-out from the transparency rules that apply to government departments and Ministers.

As we pointed out last week, MPs can demand answers from government agencies, while Parliament’s own administration remains exempt from the same scrutiny.

So when Hipkins took questions during a Stuff Q&A, Rhys put the question to him directly.

And Hipkins said yes! He agreed that Parliament should be included in Labour’s proposed reforms, with The Press picking up the story.

National’s Waitaki MP Miles Anderson has also backed the idea, so there’s growing support on both sides of the House.

Of course, a yes in a Q&A isn’t quite a firm election commitment. We’ll be pushing for Labour to commit to the policy in writing, and for Christopher Luxon to back the reform too.

ACT takes aim at another tax on renters

Earlier this week, ACT announced plans to scrap Labour’s rental loss ring-fencing rules, reigniting the debate over whether taxes targeting landlords ultimately hurt renters.

And there’s a rather interesting history here.

Back in 2017, Treasury and Inland Revenue warned Labour that ring-fencing could push up rents and hit lower-income tenants hardest. Labour pressed ahead anyway, introducing the rules in 2019.

Over the following four years, average rents for new tenancies rose by $100 a week. That’s an extra $5,200 a year for renters (although, in fairness, many other factors also contributed to rising rents).

Then came the battle over mortgage interest deductibility.

Labour spent years attacking National’s restoration of interest deductibility as a “tax cut for landlords”. It was a nonsense line, and should be abandoned now that Labour has committed to keeping the deductions in place.

And since interest deductibility was restored, annual rent growth has slowed from 4.8 percent to just 0.5 percent.

Now ACT wants to go a step further, allowing landlords to offset future rental losses against their other taxable income, just as other businesses and investors generally can.

The cost of providing rental housing matters to renters too. Whether it’s rising council rates or tax rules that squeeze landlords’ cashflow, those costs can ultimately put pressure on rents.

The lesson is simple: a tax aimed at landlords doesn’t stop with landlords. Renters ultimately end up paying the price.

And it’s not just renters facing an expensive bill…

Tick tock: New Zealand Government debt hits $300 billion today!

There’s a rather grim milestone today, and unfortunately it’s not one we are celebrating.

The Official New Zealand Government Debt Clock is on track to smash through $300 billion for the first time.

That’s $300,000,000,000. An awful lot of zeroes, and not the sort we’d like to see on the Government’s balance sheet.

And here’s the really worrying part: the Government is still borrowing $56 million every single day, while every Kiwi household’s share of the debt has now passed $144,000.

As our Head of Policy, James Ross, points out, despite all the promises to get spending under control, we’re still on track to finish the 2020s without a single year of government debt actually going down.

Even the better-than-expected economic forecasts released by Treasury last month haven’t changed that trajectory. The debt clock keeps ticking, and the bill keeps growing.

Just in time for this milestone, we’ve released New Debtland, our new pocket guide to New Zealand’s debt.

And the comparisons are rather staggering. New Zealand’s debt is equivalent to 167 years of publicly funded medicines, while the annual interest bill alone is equivalent to the entire cost of primary and secondary education in 2026.

This is a flashing red warning to whoever forms the next government: stop adding to the bill and start paying it down.

And with the Government’s debt already heading past $300 billion, what are the political parties promising to spend next?

Bribe-O-Meter Week 6: ACT finds savings while NZ First passes the $50 billion threshold

Week six of our Election Bribe-O-Meter is in, and this time ACT and National have been busy releasing their fiscal plans.

But the two parties are heading in rather different directions.

ACT is now promising $17.86 billion in net savings over four years, equivalent to $8,619 per household.

That’s made up of $22.6 billion in spending reductions, offset by $4.74 billion in new commitments. The biggest savings come from reducing government spending, changes to superannuation, and cuts to foreign aid and welfare.

National, meanwhile, has increased its spending promises to $5.16 billion, or $2,489 per household, with new commitments for roads, Pharmac, and school lunches.

But there are some rather eye-watering figures further down the leaderboard.

NZ First has sailed past $50 billion, reaching $51.8 billion in promises, or $25,000 per household. More than half of that is its $26.7 billion proposal to buy BNZ [why? —Eds].

Meanwhile, the Greens are closing in on a quarter of a trillion dollars! Chlöe has now clocked up $247.22 billion in promises, while Opportunity has reached $229.42 billion after quietly announcing a commitment to restore the old pay equity regime without accounting for its $10.97 billion cost.

And remember the $17.9 billion gap we exposed in Labour’s fiscal plan last week? Labour’s fiscal gap is larger than ACT’s entire net savings package. Labour’s running total now stands at $33.18 billion.

There’s been movement in our transparency ratings too. ACT has joined National on four stars after publishing its fiscal plan, while Opportunity has slipped half a star over its uncosted pay equity commitment.

With election day approaching, our economists will continue to crunch the numbers so voters can see what all these promises add up to.

See the full Week 6 Bribe-O-Meter breakdown here.

Next stop: Tukituki Debate and the Hawke’s Bay A&P Show!

Our election debate roadshow is heading to Hawke’s Bay next week, and we’re bringing the beautiful mobile Debt Clock to the A&P show!

On Wednesday 21 October, we’ll be putting the Tukituki candidates through their paces at Off The Track in Havelock North, from 7 pm.

Hawke’s Bay local Anna Lorck and commentator Damien Grant will once again be asking the questions and keeping the candidates on their toes.

And, as with our other debates, we’ll be revealing a brand-new Tukituki electorate poll live on the night, giving locals a first look at how the race is shaping up.

Tickets are just $10 and include a complimentary drink.

The team will also be bringing our giant Debt Clock to the Hawke’s Bay A&P Show, reminding visitors just how quickly the Government’s debt is piling up.

If you’re heading to the show, come and say hello! We love meeting supporters, hearing what’s on your mind, and thanking you for making the work possible.

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Tory Relf Head of Comms New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union