Why Greens, Labour, TPM and TOP should boycott Taxpayers’ Union debates in 2026
The Taxpayers’ Union announced:
Taxpayers’ Union announces election debate series to be live-streamed by the NZ Herald
The Taxpayers’ Union will host seven pre-election electorate debates across the country, live-streamed by the New Zealand Herald and hosted by former Labour MP Anna Lorck and commentator Damien Grant.
Each debate will feature a new electorate poll, giving voters a snapshot of how the race stands before candidates take the stage.
The national Taxpayers’ Union–Curia poll will also be released live at the conclusion of the Mt Albert debate on 8 October and the Tāmaki debate on 3 November.
Debate schedule:
Wellington Bays: Tuesday 15 September
West Coast-Tasman: Tuesday 22 September
Waitaki: Tuesday27 September
Mt Albert: Thursday 8 October*
Tukituki: Wednesday 21 October
Auckland Central: Tuesday 27 October
Tāmaki: Tuesday 3 November*
*Includes release of Taxpayers’ Union–Curia national poll
Kiwi Blog
The Taxpayers’ Union Debate series has been announced and every Green, Labour, TPM and TOP Candidates should boycott them.
I created the idea last election and got the Taxpayer’s Union to pay for it.
I wrote the questions and wouldn’t allow any editorial from TU so candidates from the Left appearing knew they had a far chance in a hostile audience and that intellectual tension made that debate series a benchmark for rigorous debate from both sides.
This election season I have nothing to do with this and in the last 3 years the Taxpayers’ Union has morphed from mischievous libertarian geeks into a funnel for dark money that has had an enormously corrosive impact in NZ Politics.
Look at her they are framing the election platforms, AS BRIBERY
That is the Taxpayers’ Union ‘Bribe-o-meter’, they are describing policy as bribery FFS!
They are bad faith actors who have become drunk on their own influence.
You can’t appear at any of these debates and pretend it will be fair.
My replacement is former Labour MP accused of bullying, Anna Lorke FFS! Sh’e the ‘balance’ to Libertarian ‘free speech champion’ Damien Grant is she?
The debate series won’t be on Freeview, it will be streamed on Alt-Right Billionaire Jim Grenon’s increasingly hostile NZ Herald.
So a right wing hate group as balanced as your average ACT Youth social function broadcast on an Alt-Right Billionaire’s web site?
Y-E-A-H, ’bout that.
If Labour, Greens, TPM and TOP boycott such a bad faith debate, imagine the embarrassment of them being forced to only debate amongst themselves!
Only National, NZF and ACT will turn up, let them turn on each other.
There is no centre in this debate, only rallying your base, agreeing to appear in such bad faith debates for their benefit doesn’t further our cause, it furthers theirs!
The boycott would serve a wider message than any debate could.
Engaging enables them this time and there is simply too much at stake this election to grace bad faith actors with the legitimacy of our presence.
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How is this insidious Taxpayers’ Union crowd even allowed to keep brain-washing the NZ voters? They are “trouble-makers” and have a spiteful RW aligned speel which our NZ Herald – shame on you – is promoting. Clearly these people all have wealth, so don’t give a stuff about all those in ‘economic pain’ and those whose only option is to live on the streets! What have we bred in NZ? Cold, uncaring, smug and greedy people? I’m ashamed to be a Kiwi! So Left voters, boycott these lying, vindictive and biased debates. Even their polls are horribly suspect! Martyn has pointed out that the Taxpayers’ Union has morphed from mischievous libertarian geeks into a funnel for dark money that has had an enormously corrosive impact on NZ Politics. You are being manipulated by charlatans!