The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that the Ministry of Education and EECA have spent $2,159,815.62 (including GST) installing 297 electric vehicle charging points on Ministry of Education sites since 2022. Almost half of this expense was incurred in the most recent financial year.

Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“If government departments were wasting taxpayers’ money installing petrol pumps in their basements it would rightly be called ridiculous. Paying millions to install EV charging points is no different, except it comes with a hefty sprinkle of middle-class welfare.

“There is no climate argument for this either, as transport emissions are covered by the Emissions Trading Scheme. Net carbon emissions won’t reduce by even a single gram, but at least Tesla-driving officials get their bumper subsidy to travel in luxury.

“The Ministry should be putting every cent towards boosting our plummeting education standards. No doubt the teachers’ unions will join New Zealand’s largest union in being up in arms over this bureaucratic waste if they’re worth their salt.”

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