Vote8 Policy
Cone Down NZ
Bringing common sense back to government: less bureaucracy, less waste, more business, more opportunity, more New Zealand.
The symbol of a bigger problem
Road cones are not the problem.
They are the symbol of something much bigger: a culture where bureaucracy has replaced common sense, paperwork replaces practical thinking, compliance often matters more than outcomes, and taxpayers and ratepayers are expected to fund an ever-growing public sector with too little accountability.
Every New Zealander has experienced it: roads closed when nobody is working, weeks of traffic management for a job that takes hours, and councils spending heavily on reports, consultants, and administration while roads, water infrastructure, and community services deteriorate.
No8 believes New Zealand deserves better.
Small businesses struggle to survive while government continues to grow. Cone Down NZ is about restoring practical judgment, taxpayer respect, and visible value.
A government that lives within its means
Families live within a budget. Businesses live within a budget. Farmers live within a budget. Government should too.
Tax is not free money. Every dollar spent by government was first earned by someone who worked for it.
Before government spends another dollar, it should ask one simple question:
If the answer is no, taxpayers should not be forced to.
Small business builds New Zealand
New Zealand is not powered by multinational corporations. Nearly every business in New Zealand is a small business. They employ local people, sponsor local sports clubs, train apprentices, create innovation, and pay the taxes that fund schools, hospitals, and roads.
What small businesses are facing
- Increasing compliance and paperwork.
- Rising ACC costs, council rates, insurance costs, and interest costs.
- Growing regulation, consenting delays, and staff shortages.
The No8 view
Government exists to support productive New Zealand, not make life harder for it. The productive economy should not be buried under expanding administration.
Public service should reflect public reality
The public service exists to serve New Zealanders. It should not become a protected class disconnected from the people paying the bills.
Fair Public Pay Act
No8 will introduce the Fair Public Pay Act. Its principle is simple:
Government should compete fairly for talent, not outbid taxpayers with taxpayers’ own money.
- Senior executive remuneration will be independently benchmarked against comparable private-sector roles.
- Salaries above benchmark will require public justification.
- Performance must be measured against clear service outcomes.
- Poor performance means remuneration is reviewed.
Exceptional salaries require exceptional results. Not simply managing a large bureaucracy.
A taxpayer value test
Every major government project and council project over a defined threshold will be subject to a Taxpayer Value Test.
Projects must show
- Clear public benefit.
- Measurable economic value.
- Value for money.
Projects must use
- Transparent procurement.
- Independent review.
- Public reporting.
If costs blow out
If costs increase substantially, an automatic review will occur before additional taxpayer funding is approved.
Public spending transparency
No8 will establish an online Taxpayer Value Register. Every significant government and council project will publicly display:
- Original budget.
- Revised budget.
- Completion date.
- Delays.
- Consultants engaged.
- Cost overruns.
- Project manager.
- Expected outcomes.
- Actual outcomes.
- Public accountability.
Taxpayers deserve to know exactly where their money goes.
Cutting bureaucracy
No8 will require every government department and council to reduce unnecessary administration through continuous efficiency reviews.
Savings must first be directed toward:
- Reducing government debt.
- Improving frontline health, policing, and education.
- Maintaining infrastructure.
- Reducing pressure on taxpayers.
Government should become smaller, smarter, and more effective.
Common sense traffic management
Road safety matters. Workers deserve to go home safely. But traffic management should be based on actual risk, not excessive paperwork.
Risk-based safety
Practical standards that protect workers without defaulting to unnecessary closures.
Lower unnecessary cost
Reduce traffic management costs where the risk does not justify the spend.
Greater accountability
Contractors should complete work faster and be accountable for excessive disruption.
Road cones should protect workers, not become symbols of bureaucracy.
Grow our way out of debt
New Zealand cannot tax itself into prosperity. The only sustainable way to reduce debt is to grow the productive economy.
That means
- Backing small business and encouraging investment.
- Rewarding innovation and reducing compliance.
- Simplifying regulation and attracting productive capital.
- Supporting exporters, tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture.
- Building infrastructure properly the first time.
The outcome
Prosperity creates revenue. Growth reduces debt. Opportunity builds stronger communities.
The No8 Promise
We will restore common sense. We will respect every taxpayer dollar. We will ensure public-sector pay reflects the real economy. We will reduce bureaucracy. We will back small business. We will simplify government.
Because the future of New Zealand will never be built by bureaucracy. It will be built by productive New Zealanders.
Less bureaucracy. Less waste. More business. More opportunity. More New Zealand.
That’s the No8 way.
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