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Wellington, March 5, 2017
Former Mayor of the Queenstown Lakes District, Vanessa van Uden and Wellington academic and businessman Sashi Meanger have been appointed Board Members of the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.
Founding member and long-serving board member Gabrielle O’Brien has now stepped down.
Chairman of the Taxpayers’Union, John Bishop said, “Sashi has had a number of senior roles in not for profit and small businesses, in addition to his roles at Victoria University of Wellington and the New Zealand Film School where he is currently the Executive Director. He has been an active member of the Taxpayers’ Union behind the scenes for some time, so we welcome his stepping up to the role as Director.”
Fiscal prudence
“Vanessa has proven that fiscal prudence is possible in the local government sector, even for regions experiencing considerable growth. Shining more light on the spending decisions in local government is a major strategic objective of the organisation. Vanessa was elected for two terms as the Queenstown Mayor on platforms of bringing Council spending under control with a focus on core services. We welcome Vanessa aboard and look forward to working with her,” he added.
Mr Meanger said, “I have followed the progress of the Taxpayers’ Union from its infancy and seen it grow into a loud voice for taxpayers. Every dollar of public spending is a dollar that a hard-working Kiwi earned. The Taxpayers’ Union balances the debate against the hundreds of organisations and special interests arguing for more government spending on their pet causes.”
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is an independent and membership-driven activist group, dedicated to being the voice for Kiwi taxpayers in the corridors of power.
The Taxpayers’ Union operates a 24-hour media line for comment on taxpayer issues. Representatives are available on (04) 2820302.
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