The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Finance Minister to refuse a bailout for Auckland Council until it manages to rein in, or at least stop increasing, its operating spending.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “On Morning Report today, Mayor Phil Goff complained that ‘the petrol tank is empty’, that he can’t borrow any more, and that he’s looking for assistance from the Government – not a loan, but a direct bailout.”

“Phil Goff always knew there was the risk of another lockdown, and he should have made provision for that in his annual budget. Instead, he increased operational spending by 4.76 percent in his budget passed only a few weeks ago. As a result, Phil Goff’s ‘emergency budget’ has been rendered useless in the face of another lockdown.”

“Now he wants taxpayers from Kaitaia to Invercargill to give him a bailout. Tough.”

“Taxpayers are already forking out hundreds of millions for Auckland’s City Rail Link and SkyPath projects. They shouldn’t give a cent more to Auckland Council until it turns its emergency budget into a genuine pandemic budget that reduces spending or freezes spending instead of increasing it.”

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