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# The Most Appalling or Absurd Uses of Taxpayer or Ratepayer Money
- URL: https://goodoil.news/the-most-appalling-or-absurd-uses-of-taxpayer-or-ratepayer-money/
- Published: 2019-08-30T00:30:00.000Z
- Updated: 2019-08-29T03:01:59.000Z
- Author: General
- Tags: NZ, NZ Politics, Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-17 03:49

[The Taxpayers’ Union](https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/?ref=goodoil.news)

It’s almost time for our second annual Jonesie Awards, celebrating the ‘best of the worst’ of wasteful spending across central and local government.

**The Jonesies are our golden glitz and glamour Oscars-style award ceremony held at parliament where the Taxpayers’ Union (firmly tongue-in-cheek) recognise those most specious examples of waste.**

The Awards have been created to honour the civil servants, government agencies and politicians who signify government waste, over-spending, excessive regulation, lack of accountability, or any combination of the four. A Jonesie may be awarded on the basis of past accomplishments or on a promised initiative.

The extent of the waste is not the only criteria for a Jonesie nomination – some relatively small spending items have previously earned nominations thanks to the absurdity of the spending or how they encapsulate a culture of waste or extravagance within a given council, government department, or publicly funded agency.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/31/f4/31f4e20a-0315-499e-83ff-139e8eab53bf/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/unnamed-copy.png)

Last year’s winners included Auckland Council for its $91,000 “vegan-approved” goat hunt (in which no goats were killed), and the Film Commission for its “Power Rangers pavlova” which saw Warner Brothers paid $1.6 million in taxpayer money to include a Kiwi pav in a children’s TV show. Shane Jones took home the golden swine for Lifetime Achievement in Waste.

**We’re now seeking your nominations for the most appalling or absurd uses of taxpayer or ratepayer money to emerge in the last year. Nominations close at 5pm on 20 September.**

There are three categories:

- Local Government
- Central Government
- Lifetime Achievement Award

**Tell us who deserves to be honoured with a Jonesie this year**.

**[Click here to submit your nomination.](https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/jonesienominations?utm%5Fcampaign=190828%5Ftu%5Fjonesie%5Fnoms&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=taxpayers)**

This year’s award ceremony will be on **Thursday** **3 October at Parliament**.