The Taxpayers’ Union is weighing in on the recent news that Shane Jones convinced Cabinet to fork out another $16.5 million of taxpayers money on a loss-making mussel farm. This brings the total taxpayer tab for the project to $52 million.

Commenting on the story, Taxpayers’ Union Communications Officer, Alex Emes, said:

“Shane Jones has continued to lobby for tens of millions of dollars from the pocket of taxpayers to be handed to a management team who have already managed one mussel business into failure.”

“Not only has the mussel farm lost money every year of its existence, but the auditor has expressed uncertainty in its ability to continue. So long as Shane Jones is signing the cheques, taxpayers can say goodbye to their hard-earned money.”

“This is another example of why the Taxpayers’ Union named their annual Government-waste awards the ‘Jonesies’. Taxpayers expect value for their tax dollars, not for them to be thrown away for mussel-farm nostalgia.”

“The losses have been so bad, the corporate financiers can’t even put a number on it! With results like this, it’s time for the Government to reign in the slush funds, and stop allowing Ministers to dangle taxpayers’ money over the fire.”

NOTES:

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 accountability, is supported by 200,000 subscribed members and supporters.

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