The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is slamming massive pay rises for Fire and Emergency New Zealand board members, saying it highlights the urgent need for the long-promised review into the agency following its troubled merger.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“Handing out pay rises of up to 79% to board members while frontline firefighters remain locked in an industrial dispute is a terrible look and raises serious questions about priorities.”

“Taxpayers are being levied to fund an organisation where trucks are rusting, frontline and volunteer staff are under pressure, and yet those at the top are being rewarded with massive pay increases.”

“This is exactly why the Taxpayers’ Union has been calling for a full, independent review into FENZ. From failing equipment to poor management, the warning signs have been there for years.”

“The Government promised a review into FENZ’s performance back in 2016, now it’s time to deliver. Until then, throwing more money at the top risks rewarding failure rather than fixing it.”

NOTES:

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is an independent and membership-driven activist group, dedicated to being the voice for Kiwi taxpayers in the corridors of power. Its mission, lower taxes, less waste, more transparency, is supported by 200,000 subscribed members and supporters.

© Scoop Media