Responding to reports in today’s NZ Herald that ACC chief executive, Megan Main, spent $32,000 of taxpayers’ money on a business class trip to Europe while consulting on nearly 400 job cuts to reduce spending, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“While bureaucrats are losing their jobs, it is tone-deaf for executives to be swanning around the world in business class. ACC’s decision to lavishly spend on business-class flights while proposing significant job cuts reeks of the culture of extravagance that stems from the leadership of taxpayer-funded organisations.

“The Chief Executive must lead from the front and change the culture to one of financial prudence. It is simply not realistic to expect bureaucrats to show respect for taxpayer money when their own boss is jaunting around the world.

“There is no doubt that ACC is overbloated and while the proposed cuts are a good start, ACC must go further including cutting back on frivolous executive spending and some of the more questionable multi-million advertising campaigns.

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