Revealed: Taxpayers shell out $15,000 for left-wing lobby group
6 SEPTEMBER 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In May 2019, Netsafe granted $15,000 in taxpayer funding to left-wing campaign group ActionStation, reveals the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.
Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “According to information obtained under the Official Information Act, the Government has used taxpayer money to hire its left-wing mates as the online friendship police. This is the same
group that helps out Labour and the Greens during election campaigns.
"The cushy contract makes a lie of ActionStation’s claimed independence from government funding.”
"The payment is a gross misuse of funds by any measure, but most importantly for Netsafe it breaches their commitment not to fund political organisations with Ministry of Justice money."
“Taxpayers are unknowingly supporting ActionStation to tell New Zealanders how to have ‘better, safer and more productive conversations online around Māori, refugees, NZ history and Tiriti’. But the Government shouldn’t be boosting the bottom line of any political lobby group.”
“People on the left would rightly 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. This cosy payment to ActionStation is little different.”
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on ActionStation to refund the payment, and front up about any other taxpayer funding it receives or has
applied for.
ENDS