Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader
15 JULY 2014

Taxpayers’ Union Wrong Again

The Taxpayers’ Union’s criticism of Tauranga City Councillor Clayton Mitchell standing as a New Zealand First candidate for the next election is typical inane carping from the organisation, says New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“This is a self-appointed organisation without membership, or as the English would say, ‘a thorough stuffed shirt affair’.

“There have been countless members of Parliament who began in local government, were elected, and stood down at the next local government election. In doing so they avoided the local ratepayers’ having to pay for an expensive by-election.

“Mr Mitchell proposes to stand down at the next local government election if, as is highly likely, he becomes an MP on the 20th September.

“The jaundiced bias of Jordan Williams, the self-appointed executive director of the Taxpayers’ Union, is exposed in that despite the numerous examples of local body councillors and mayors becoming MPs he inexplicably decides to just pick on New Zealand First.

“Many New Zealanders will remember Mr Williams’ attack on New Zealand First at the last election under the guise of the Vote for Change anti-MMP campaign in which they put up hundreds of hoardings all attacking the New Zealand First Leader.

“Their puerile behaviour failed in 2011 and will fail again in 2014,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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