26 AUGUST 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The decision to hire “fashion police” to issue “tickets” during Auckland Fashion Week epitomises the culture of waste at Auckland Council, says the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance.
Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson Jo Holmes says, “Paying drag queens to harass pedestrians is yet another low for Auckland Council. It’s
also a shining example of Mayor Phil Goff’s total failure to cut wasteful spending as he promised in 2016.”
“Goff has the nerve to claim that his rate hikes are needed for infrastructure, while the real result of his spending
marches down Queen Street in lipstick and heels. These queens should join Goff on the campaign trail to remind
ratepayers of his flagrant disrespect for ratepayers.”
“Operational expenditure has ballooned under both Brown and Goff, far outpacing growth in capital investment. Ratepayers
expect their money to be used on roads and rubbish, not fluffy feel-good initiatives designed to please small special
interest groups.”
The Ratepayers’ Alliance has confirmed that funding for the “fashion police” and photographer has come from the ratepayer-funded Auckland Design
Office.
ENDS