“Wellingtonians are being smashed with a massive rates hike because the council and the Mayor are completely out of touch with productive people and they’re being totally irresponsible with ratepayers’ money. People have had a gutsful and they’re leaving the city”, says ACT MP based in Wellington Nicole McKee.

“John Key joked Wellington is a dying city and this left-wing council is trying to kill it off for good.

“Wellingtonians have an ideological council that suffocates any kind of initiative, doesn’t let productive people do anything, taxes and spends on all kinds of wasteful projects, and ignores the vital infrastructure that people actually want.

“The council is forecasting a 13 per cent rates hike, following increases of 13.5 per cent in 2021, and 8 per cent last year.

“The Mayor hasn’t being forthcoming with any sort of plan on how to fix Wellington’s declining infrastructure, and chances are she doesn’t have one. It’s far more likely this rates increase will be wasted on vanity projects that serve no purpose other than to keep left-wing ideologues happy.

“Today’s Dominion Post shows the problem. Mayor Tory Whanau is quoted in two different articles – one commiserating with hard up ratepayers and an op-ed saying she’s going to splurge their money on the arts.

“Wellington City Council needs to get back to the basics.

“If the Mayor had any respect for her constituents she would show a detailed plan for what essential services their rates are going towards. Instead, she expects the average Wellington family to cough up an extra $450 a week during a cost of living crisis.

“If the Wellington council doesn’t start acting for ratepayers instead of left-wing ideologues then people will leave. And the very real challenges the city faces will only get worse.”

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