The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has today launched the second in its series of briefing papers aimed at addressing the government’s spending deficit. TitledA Pathway to Surplus, the paper outlines more than $35 billion in potential savings and over $100 billion in possible asset sales.

The release follows widespread concern expressed by New Zealanders during the Taxpayers’ Union’s Hīkoi for Balanced Budgets, which concluded yesterday.

“From Whangārei to Invercargill, people asked us the same question: how can the Government stop the debt from rising?” said Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams.

“This report contains the answers. It offers Finance Minister Nicola Willis oven-ready options to smash the deficit, stop the borrowing debt, and restore New Zealand’s financial resilience.”

The report proposes a range of measures, including more targeted welfare spending, phasing out ineffective corporate subsidies, assessing state-owned enterprises for possible privatisation, and streamlining the public sector by eliminating overlapping bureaucracy.

“You don’t have to agree with every proposal in the paper, and that’s okay. But tough conversations and bold decisions are necessary. This paper makes the case for those decisions.”

“None of the ideas are radical. They are pragmatic, evidence-based recommendations rooted in fiscal common sense.”

While each recommendation is presented as an option, the paper stresses that inaction is not.

“New Zealanders deserve better than business as usual,” said Williams. “We owe it to future generations to make the hard choices now while we still can. The pathway to surplus is clear. It’s time for our leaders to take it.”

The full report is available at https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/pathway_to_surplus_report

The report’s key recommendations include:

Selling down assets making a poor (or negative) return, allowing the Crown to recycle capital and build quality infrastructure;

Reversing index-free student loans and free tuition policies;

Raising the pension age and indexing to life expectancy to sustain the Superannuation system amid an aging population;

Adjust the targeting of welfare support to only the most vulnerable;

Improve Government efficiency by abolishing redundant agencies and consolidating overlapping departments.

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