According to the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union the government has used taxpayer money to hire its left-wing mates.
According to information obtained under the Official Information Act in May 2019, Netsafe granted $15,000 in taxpayer funding to left-wing campaign group ActionStation,
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union claims that the payment breaches Netsafe’s commitment not to fund political organisations.
ActionStation was involved in political activism at the last election. Below is an example of billboards that they put up underneath actual National party campaign signs.
The signs are the work of online activist organisation ActionStation, which funded the People’s Mental Health Report into the state of mental health services earlier this year. The report said the system is neglected and under strain and called for additional funding and an immediate and urgent inquiry.
Newshub
It is hard to escape the conclusion that their signs are political activism despite their claimed independence from government funding. According to the Taxpayer’s Union Taxpayer funds are being used to support ActionStation so that they can tell New Zealanders how to have “better, safer and more productive conversations online around Māori, refugees, NZ history and Tiriti”.
The government shouldn’t be boosting the bottom line of any political lobby group.
People on the left would rightfully be outraged if a National government contracted the Maxim Institute to teach sex-ed in schools, or the New Zealand Initiative to draft the Budget. In principle, this cosy payment to ActionStation is no different.
Taxpayers’ Union
