The Taxpayers’ Union cannot believe that New Zealand First is importing foreign political consultants, presumably because no New Zealanders
are suitable, or perhaps willing, for NZ First campaign roles.
Union spokesperson Jordan Williams says: “Winston Peters has spent his 40-year political career railing against foreigners
coming in and taking New Zealanders' jobs, or worse, influencing New Zealand politics. Peters has even publicly accused
me of being funded by ‘foreign money, poking its greedy nose in to domestic politics’.
“Once again, Peters’ hypocrisy know no bounds.”
“Now Peters’ party will be spending a ‘six figure sum’ on six controversial British consultants who style themselves as “the bad boys of Brexit” after their work on the Leave campaign.”
“And it wasn’t even the real Vote Leave, which was founded by UK TaxPayers’ Alliance founder Matthew Elliott. The only
thing Banks and his motley group were responsible for was the misleading, disgraceful, xenophobic leave.eu group. Who’d want to pay for that?”
“Presumably Mr Peters scoured New Zealand looking for Kiwi consultants who could run a social media campaign and offer
strategic advice. Has Simon Lusk moved on or is he just out hunting? Winston surely would have worked hard to try and
put New Zealanders first on his campaign team given his fiery rhetoric since 1979.”
“There are legitimate questions to be asked about these appointments. How do political consultants count as essential
workers in a COVID-19 world? Why do they get quarantine beds, while New Zealand citizens are forced to wait? Who is
paying for their work? Does New Zealand First have enough money to afford these guys? If someone else is paying them,
that has to count as an election donation. The Taxpayers’ Union suggests the Electoral Commission keep a very close eye on this arrangement.”
“Arron Banks has just been cleared of criminal wrongdoing relating to electoral funding after two years of legal action.
Presumably he could provide some free advice to the New Zealand First Foundation…”