The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union’s petition to withdraw taxpayer funding for the proposed $685 million cycle and pedestrian bridge has reached 20,000 signatures. The petition can be signed at www.taxpayers.org.nz/skypath.

Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “The Government has made a serious misjudgement in choosing to allocate a massive chunk of taxpayer funds toward a project that will disproportionately benefit an elite group of Aucklanders.”

“This vanity project is set to cost $370 for every household in New Zealand, from Kaitaia to the Bluff. The history of SkyPath’s cost blowouts, combined with the rushed announcement of this latest proposal, suggest that the final cost will likely be even higher.”

“People often sign petitions calling for more government spending on various causes, but here we have thousands of New Zealanders urging the Government to display fiscal prudence. That’s significant. It suggests that New Zealanders understand that in a time of skyrocketing national debt, taxpayer funds should be used cautiously, on services and infrastructure that will benefit the many, not the few.”

“Tomorrow we’ll be delivering our petition to Parliament. We’re urging the Government to ditch this white elephant before it commits any more money and attention to a fraught design and consultation process.

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