'A Provocateur For Liberty': Taxpayers' Union Mourns The Passing Of Sir Robert Jones
On behalf of the Taxpayers' Union, its Co-founder, Jordan Williams, said:
"Sir Bob was many things: a property magnate, a political party founder, a bestselling author, and a walking provocation to the politically correct. To us, he was also an unwavering champion of individual liberty, a firm believer in smaller government, and one of the rare public figures who didn't just tolerate free speech – he weaponised it with wit."
"Not only a major supporter of the Taxpayers' Union, Sir Bob was a kindred spirit. He called waste when he saw it, mocked bureaucracy with precision, and understood that New Zealanders' hard-earned money deserved respect – not reckless redistribution."
"Wellington is full of quirks Sir Bob undertook. From the infamous 'save the krill, kill the whales' billboard, to the 'toilet in 100 metres' signs on the roads leading to Parliament. Together they form part of the city's unofficial charm, and frankly deserve heritage protection. They're as much a tribute to his mischief as his buildings are to his business."
"Taxpayers owe Sir Bob more than a few laughs, a few lawsuits, and more than a few uncomfortable truths. Whether he was calling out bloated local councils or writing acid-tipped columns skewering public sector excess, he reminded us that good economics and good humour can – and should – go together."
"We extend our sympathies to Sir Bob's family, friends, and those brave enough to have edited his columns. He will be remembered not just for his towering achievements in business, but for the intellectual mischief he stirred in the public square. New Zealand is duller without him."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Otago Daily Times
History never repeats, but it does become more complicated
As New Zealanders, the more intermarried we become, it seems the more complicated our histories also become. My wife's ancestors came to New Zealand because a family member was in the British army fighting in the land wars. I often wonder if there was a time when my family were in battle with her family. Thankfully our relations are much better. Last week was the 162nd anniversary of the British invasion of the Waikato. It was a pre-emptive strike because some of the Ngāti Maniapoto iwi had suggested attacking the settlers in Auckland. My father was born in the Waikato and belonged to both Ngāti Maniapoto and Waikato hapū. One of his ancestors, Wiremu Patene, had written to a missionary friend and mentioned some of the Ngāti Maniapoto rhetoric that advocated for an attack on Auckland. For those interested in the geography, Ngāti Maniapoto country begins 150km south of Auckland, and so an attack was very unlikely to have been attempted. However, in between were the fertile lands of the Waikato tribes that the British were very interested in. Patene's letter was taken to Governor Grey who, a few days later, used it as part of his justification to set the invasion of the Waikato in motion. While some may want to blame my ancestor, the truth is that the British had been looking for an excuse to invade the Waikato and break up the Kingitanga movement for months. They had been gathering regiments and supplies in Auckland and were only waiting for the pretext. In my fantasies I used to think that if only the tribes had done things differently, we might have beaten the British or at least held them up until joined by other tribes in defence of our homeland. It wasn't until I read an account of a similar campaign of Lord Kitchener's conquest of Sudan that I realised we never had a chance. Though the conflict was much smaller, there were strong parallels between Waikato and the invasion of Sudan. Competent generals focused on creating and protecting supply lines with the use of armed river boats meant that the outcomes in both conflicts were a foregone conclusion; certainly in the Waikato anyway. The British stopped when they got to Ngāti Maniapoto territory, possibly because the hills, forests and valleys were well suited for guerrilla warfare, but also because the fertile plains of the Waikato region were enough to sate the desires of the settlers for a while. Some may say to me "Why bring this up? It was over a hundred years ago, you lost, get over it". My reply would be that we could say the same thing about Anzac Day and the Gallipoli campaign. That also was over 100 years ago, we lost, and I don't think there are any of us who would appreciate being told to "get over it". Coincidentally, on the anniversary of the British invasion I was talking about New Zealand history to one of my Pākehā nephews. As I was telling him about some of the history of the area where he was raised, he got animated and very excited and asked "why wasn't I told about this history in school?" Perhaps because it was believed that history was something that happened somewhere else. Part of the problem with telling our histories is that there are vested interests trying to protect their myths. Some of the older generation of Pākehā that were brought up on the glories of the "benevolent" British Empire, have constantly fought against narratives that question the motives of their ancestors. Many had come to this country with very little and worked hard to forge successful lives. There are some who are unhappy about New Zealand history being taught in schools because they think it brings disunity, particularly if someone is descended from a person portrayed as the bad guy in the story. Some want to reduce Māori to bloodthirsty savages and some Māori want to reduce Pākehā to genocidal swindlers. I have ancestors who did noble selfless things during the land wars, protecting both Māori and Pākehā non-combatants, as well as ancestors who were part of groups that committed atrocities. One ancestor did both. True history is often far more complex than just goodies and baddies. The more we learn the more nuance appears. A good history will tell you why things happened and the context around it, not just what happened. Thucydides, the ancient Greek historian, insisted on accuracy in historical accounts to remind us that what we can learn from history is that human nature changes very little. Our country has great stories. New Zealand history is entertaining and interesting, especially when it tells us something about ourselves and why our society is the way that it is. — Dr Anaru Eketone is an associate professor in the University of Otago's social and community work programme.
Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Otago Daily Times
Local government confusion
As we head towards local government elections, prospective candidates might be wondering what they could be letting themselves in for. For the last year or more the government has been berating councils for being poor fiscal managers, insisting they need to refocus on core services and cut out wasteful spending. As well, there has been unhelpful and unfocused speculation about the future role of regional councils. To add to the messy mix, last week the government announced a confusing set of restrictions on councils' planning programmes to stop them doing work which will not align with the forthcoming laws replacing the existing Resource Management Act. Plan reviews and changes will be stopped through an Amendment Paper to the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, expected to become law next month. There will be mixed views about whether councils are irresponsible big spenders on vanity projects or whether the majority of rates rises are the result of them finally trying to catch up with years of underspending on infrastructure. What people believe is the truth may depend on the size of their rates increase and whether they take issue with some aspect of council spending they think is unnecessary. It is convenient for the government to point the finger at local government for the impact rates rises are having on the cost of living. It diverts attention from other living cost pressures, among them continuing food price rises. Despite its big talk about reining in the dominant supermarkets, nothing changes. The Regulatory Impact Statement on the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill which passed its first reading in Parliament late last week made the point cost pressures on councils were being driven by capital and operating cost escalation, flowing from supply chain upheaval and a tight labour market during the pandemic and "accelerated headline inflation since". "Infrastructure costs have long been a major cause of rate increases, with councils needing to upgrade infrastructure, especially for water and wastewater treatment plants, and invest in more infrastructure to meet growth demands. "Around two-thirds of capital expenditure for councils is applied to core infrastructure, not including libraries and other community facilities, or parks and reserves." What the government considers is OK for council spending and what is not has not always been clear, but the Bill attempts to shed some light on that. It defines the core services of a local authority as network infrastructure, public transport services, waste management, civil defence emergency management, libraries, museums, reserves and other recreational facilities. It has also tinkered with the definition of the purpose of local government to include supporting local economic growth and development. But the purpose also states it is to enable democratic local decision-making and action by and on behalf of communities. Councillors and wannabe councillors around the country might wonder what that means when it appears the central government is wanting much greater influence. Many will be feeling betrayed by the failure of the National Party to live up to its promises of devolution and localism. Local Government NZ president Sam Broughton summed up that feeling at the organisation's conference last week, saying it felt like "every party in opposition is a localist and then as soon as they're in power, they become a creature that draws all the more power to themselves." Local government minister Simon Watts is still talking up plans for a rates cap, saying the government is working at pace on a model for it, despite National not seeming to have the backing of its coalition partners. NZ First leader Winston Peters was scathing about it, quoted as saying "every other party is interfering in local government" and his party had never done this. He suggested central government could not preach to local government when it did not have its own spending under control. Whatever happens next, it is clear there is much to do to improve the relationship and trust between central and local government and to ensure the word local is not becoming a synonym for national. Further preaching and scolding will not achieve that.
Scoop
16 hours ago
- Scoop
Infrastructure Projects To Drive Jobs And Growth
Minister for Economic Growth Hon Chris Bishop Minister for Infrastructure Billions of dollars worth of infrastructure projects getting underway in the next few months will drive economic activity and create thousands of jobs across the country, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop say. The Ministers today released an infrastructure update showing $6 billion of government-funded construction is due to start between now and Christmas. 'The projects getting underway include new roads, hospitals, schools, high-tech laboratories and other government buildings,' Nicola Willis says. 'That means spades in the ground, jobs throughout the country and a stronger economy. 'Improving the quality of New Zealand's infrastructure is critical to growing the economy and helping Kiwis with the cost of living. 'Good roads, schools and hospitals help business to move goods and services to market quickly and efficiently, children to learn and doctors and nurses to get patients back on their feet.' Chris Bishop says the projects getting underway will create thousands of employment opportunities for New Zealanders. 'Numbers vary according to the nature of projects, but data sourced from the Infrastructure Commission suggests each billion dollars of infrastructure investment per year equates to about 4500 jobs. 'In total, workers are expected to start construction on $3.9 billion worth of roading projects in the next few months. They include the Ōtaki to north of Levin expressway, the Melling interchange, the Waihoehoe Road upgrade, and the new Ōmanawa bridge on SH29. All will help to lift productivity by getting people and freight to their destinations quickly and safely. 'Health projects kicking off include upgrades to Auckland City Hospital, Middlemore Hospital, and the construction of a new acute mental health unit at Hutt Valley Hospital. Construction work on the new inpatients building at the new Dunedin Hospital has also just begun. 'Between now and the end of this year, school property projects valued at nearly $800 million will get underway across the country. 'Other Government infrastructure projects due to start before the end of this year include a massive new state-of-the-art biosecurity facility in Auckland for the Ministry of Primary Industries and the Papakura District Court interim courthouse. 'Importantly, this is just the start. The National Infrastructure Pipeline, managed by the Infrastructure Commission, now shows planned future projects totalling $207 billion across central government, local government and the private sector.' Alongside the infrastructure update, Nicola Willis today released an update on the Government's Infrastructure for Growth work programme. The update is the first refresh of the Going for Growth agenda launched in February to drive economic growth by backing business, improving infrastructure and skills, and removing barriers to innovation. The update shows that since February the Government has delivered on 14 actions to build a stronger infrastructure pipeline and drive better value for money. They include: streamlining land acquisition processes for major infrastructure projects agreeing to fund more than $550 million of water, energy, Māori development and other projects through the Regional Infrastructure Fund; and consulting on a draft National Infrastructure Plan due to become final by the end of the year that will give investors and businesses confidence and drive better value for money from public investment. Note The projects beginning construction include: Hutt Valley Te Whare Ahuru Acute Mental Health Unit, Wellington Kidz First and McIndoe Building Recladding, Middlemore Hospital, Auckland Linear Accelerators Replacement, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland Dunedin Hospital Sterile Services Unit, Dunedin Plant Health & Environment Capability Laboratory, Auckland Papakura District Court Interim Courthouse, Auckland Waihoehoe Road Upgrade, Auckland SH22 (Drury) Corridor Upgrade – interim works, Auckland SH29 Tauriko – Omanawa Bridge – Bay of Plenty SH1 Ōtaki to north of Levin, Horowhenua SH2 Melling Interchange, Wellington SH76 Brougham Street, Canterbury Rolleston Access Improvements – Package 1, Canterbury Parliamentary Library – south building and underground carpark seismic strengthening & rebuild, Wellington School property projects across the country including roll growth classrooms, upgrades and redevelopments & learning support satellite classrooms, administration blocks and gymnasiums. This list excludes a small number of significant projects which will begin construction before the end of 2025, but cannot yet be named for a range of commercial reasons. The value of these projects is included in the $6 billion total. Announcements will be made about them in the coming weeks and months.
