The Taxpayers’ Union is committed to working with any MP – regardless of their party – to prohibit Ministers going straight from the Beehive into businesses selling access to and information about what goes on in the Beehive.

The offer comes after an interview with RNZ yesterday in which the Prime Minister seemed to dismiss the potential conflicts that arise from Kris Faafoi’s appointment as a lobbyist just months after leaving cabinet.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Callum Purves, said:

“The Prime Minister is defending herself with brazenly outrageous suggestions that Kris Faafoi knows nothing more than what is in Labour’s election manifesto. Every New Zealander can see it’s nonsense on stilts.

“Rather than just making good talking points, the National Party or the Greens should introduce a Parliamentary Bill to bring New Zealand into line with other Westminster-style parliaments and ban the revolving door of Ministers going into for-profit lobbying.

“It is a privilege to represent New Zealanders in parliament—former politicians should not be using their positions to make a personal profit. This political merry-go-round undermines trust in our democratic system. Let’s stop it.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

In Australia, the Lobbying Code of Conduct states that ‘Persons who retire from office as a Minister or a Parliamentary Secretary, must not, for a period of 18 months after they cease to hold office, engage in lobbying activities relating to any matter that they had official dealings with in their last 18 months in office.’

Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the Ministerial code states that ‘On leaving office, Ministers will be prohibited from lobbying Government for two. They must also seek advice from the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA) about any appointments or employment they wish to take up within two years of leaving office.’

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is an independent and membership-driven activist group, dedicated to being the voice for Kiwi taxpayers in the corridors of power. Its mission, lower taxes, less waste, more transparency, is supported by 195,000+ subscribed members and supporters.

The Taxpayers' Union operates a 24-hour media line for comment on taxpayer issues. Representatives are available on (04) 282 0302.

High-resolution images and logos are available on request or online at http://www.taxpayers.org.nz/resources

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