Taxpayers' Union Suspects Northland Pork Barrel Offerings

Responding to the $32 - $69 million policy pledge announced by National Party by-election candidate, Mark Osborne, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says:

“Taxpayers’ money for roading infrastructure should be used in areas where there is the highest net benefit, not where there just so happens to be a hotly contested by-election.”

“It may well be that these ten Northland bridge projects are the best bang for taxpayers’ buck, but we are yet to see the evidence. We are calling on the Government to justify this announcement and make clear to taxpayers that these projects are the greatest use of the Government's roading budget.”

“We have asked the Government to release NZTA’s analysis which shows these projects are the most pressing in New Zealand. Until it does, a stench of pork barrel politics will linger.”

Pork barreling is a term used to describe the appropriation of government spending for localised projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative’s district.
ENDS

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