NZTE’s $62 million pavilion unveiled today in Dubai is an unseemly extravagance during a pandemic, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “NZTE has completely misread the room by proceeding with the Dubai expo during COVID-19. Tens of thousands of Kiwis are stuck overseas, fighting for limited MIQ spots, while 400 bureaucrats and businesspeople get to skip the queue for the sake of a glorified convention.”

“Reportedly, some MPs plan on attending the expo. If they know what’s good for them, they’ll skip it. No-one wants to see photos of Kelvin Davis greasing up Arabian princes.”

“Spending tens of millions to have bureaucrats brown-nose billionaires sends the completely wrong signal about our business culture. New Zealanders pride themselves on having a fair go – that means getting ahead with hard work, not by hobnobbing with politicians and regulators.”

“If the Government wants to woo international business, it can do so by removing regulatory barriers or winding back our 28 percent corporate tax rate – one of the highest in the developed world.”

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