The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to axe its $5 million Regional Events Promotion Fund labelling it as nothing more than a corporate welfare slush fund.

“If people really want to attend these events, they can buy tickets and go themselves. With the cost of living still punishing many families, it is odd that the Government is choosing to prioritise photo opportunities for politicians over delivering meaningful tax relief or paying down debt to secure our economic recovery.

“Forcing the taxpayer to subsidise tattoo, drag and music festivals - along with a myriad of other obscure sporting and food events - will always make the taxpayer worse off than if they had been left with that money to spend as they wish.

“Politicians will try to argue that this draws people into the region for these events. What they neglect to mention is that they are drawing them, and their money, away from other areas and businesses where it would have been spent on productive businesses instead.

“The recent tax changes barely adjust for half of the stealth tax hikes caused by inflation since tax brackets were last set 14 years ago. Cutting back on propping up festivals that apparently no one would spend their own money on to buy a full price ticket is exactly the kind of waste that needs to be cut to put more money in Kiwi’s pockets.”

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