Hobson’s Pledge Founder Wants Ratepayer Activist Seat At Table

Sunday, 10 August 2025, 5:23 am
Article: Craig Ashworth - Local Democracy Reporting

A founding board member of Hobson’s Pledge wants a ratepayer activist group given access to decision-making at New Plymouth District Council.

Some three dozen members of his New Plymouth Ratepayers Alliance arrived at the council chamber this week to lobby for a pause on the council’s buy-local plan.

Many wore the group’s signature black shirts to show support for a deputation by their chairman Kevin Moratti to NPDC’s Finance, Audit and Risk committee.

Moratti has long been the local voice for Hobson’s Pledge and is a former Act Party candidate.

His picture can still be found online as part of a Hobson’s Pledge ‘council’. “I was at the first meeting to establish Hobson's Pledge in Wellington many years ago,” Moratti told the committee.

“My name was still on the thing because we were part of the board that established it.” Moratti claimed to have not been an "active member" of Hobson's Pledge for ten years.

But in 2021 Moratti campaigned as a trust member of Hobson's Pledge against Māori wards on Taranaki councils, alongside councillor Murray Chong.

The ratepayer group advocates for less council spending to reduce rates, and opposes Māori wards, iwi representation on committees and anything else they deem 'race-based'.

Moratti claimed strong public support and recognition from central government.

“So please listen to your citizens of New Plymouth and read the room.”

“We are requesting that we become part of the decisions-making (sic) process, just as some other un-elected parties are.”

On Facebook the ratepayer pressure group has 1800 followers.

New Plymouth District has 62,673 enrolled voters. Moratti asked councillors to defer any decisions on the procurement strategy till after October’s local election.

The strategy goes to the full council on Tuesday, but the nitty gritty of policies and procedures aren’t due to be ruled on until the new council is elected.

The procurement revamp aims to save NPDC money while generating prosperity and making social, cultural and environmental gains.

Amongst many goals, the strategy proposes improving partnerships with iwi, hapū, and Māori businesses so they could help supply the council’s needs.

Moratti quoted the staff report to council: “Apply the principles of kaitiakitanga to ensure public funds are utilised responsibly.”

“What does that mean?” he asked.

The strategy recommends structured governance to improve contract management: Moratti repeatedly mis-read this as structured co-governance.

The document makes no mention of co-governance. “This procurement strategy has far greater implications.

This is now gone nationwide to relevant ministers, other platforms,” he claimed.

Chong, who’s a former New Zealand First and New Conservatives candidate, isn’t a voting member of the committee but sat with other councillors to say he feared “going down a slippery track of division”.

“It's a race-based policy component on it. And we actually, moving forward, we need to take race-based politics out of all our systems.”

Chong set up the New Plymouth Ratepayers Alliance with mayoral candidate Max Brough.

Chong said he and Brough have had to "officially remove ourselves" as the group is affiliated with the Taxpayers Union, which he said doesn't allow politicians as members.

Council candidates Mark Coster, Debbie Hancock and Kerry Vosseler were, as is typical, front and centre in Moratti's audience but as would-be politicians can't join his group.

Brough suggested keeping the council's current procurement policy, but favours local contracting so voted with all other councillors to accept the new strategy.

Another mayoral contender, current deputy mayor David Bublitz, said it was about being fair to all suppliers.

“We need to understand that it's not race-based. It is equity-based.”

On Thursday Hobson's Pledge said it would remove billboards opposing Māori wards that feature a bought photo of Ellen Tamati, who supports Māori wards.

Her mokopuna, Anahera Parata, said the whānau strongly disagreed with the campaign.

“I can’t imagine being Nan. Having to face our iwi when her face is being plastered all over billboards supporting a message that none of us believe in.”

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