MEDIA RELEASE

LGNZ lobby group ignoring duties of political neutrality with public money

24 JULY 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Taxpayers' Union is slamming the use of ratepayer money by Local Government New Zealand in promoting an 'election manifesto', launched yesterday by Lawrence Yule, a National Party candidate.

Jordan Williams, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, said "It is totally wrong for ratepayers to have to stump up for LGNZ to run a propaganda campaign in the lead up to the general election. It tosses aside the usual duties of political neutrality with public money."

"A National Party candidate, using ratepayers' money to promote a 'manifesto' of policies which just happen to be very close to the National Party's policies, is disgraceful."

"If former Labour Party Cabinet Minister Lianne Dalziel used Christchurch ratepayers' money to assist Labour, we would be all over it. This is no different."

"Unlike every other ratepayer funded quango, LGNZ take advantage of a special carve out from freedom of information laws. That means that we may never know just how much of our money is being funneled into election campaigning."

"LGNZ should be brought under the law like every other local government subsidiary. That would stop this sort of unethical behavior."

ENDS

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