Responding to the news that Wellington's ratepayers are paying for a social media influencer to corral under-35s into engaging with the City Council, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman Garrick Wright-McNaughton says:

“Public engagement will follow when the Council demonstrates it takes consultation seriously. Funding ‘influencers’ might feel cool, but ratepayers would probably prefer if the Council simply improved its public consultation process. Providing additional consultation material which objectively details the pros and cons of any proposal would be a good start.”

“Rates are just a function of how much the Council plans to spend. All too often councils take current levels of spending for granted, without evaluating the ‘value-for-money’ of existing projects. Inevitably, new projects get proposed and spending climbs higher every year.”

"To rub salt into the wound, the Council didn't even find an influencer that lives in Wellington. It appears they accidentally paid a girl who lives in the Wairarapa. You couldn't make this stuff up.”

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