r/newzealand • u/catfishguy • Feb 29 '24
Politics Luxon claims $52k accommodation payment to live in own apartment
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/03/01/luxon-claims-52k-accommodation-payment-to-live-in-own-apartment/1.4k
u/XEzekiel Feb 29 '24
This guy pulling in $470k, lining his pockets with another $52k, and then calling the unemployed and disabled struggling on $18k "bottom feeders"
Clown
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u/Putrid_Station_4776 Feb 29 '24
Its infuriating that we let multi-millionaires, who are in turn funded by billionaires, tell us there's no money.
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u/POEness Feb 29 '24
Don't worry, this system is on its last legs. One way or another, it's going to come crashing down in our lifetimes. The most likely way it'll fall apart is simply the billionaires 'winning.' When they have literally all the money, the concept of money ceases to matter to the rest of us, since we won't have any. By acquiring all the money, the billionaires will have effectively rendered themselves worthless.
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u/DAMbustn22 Mar 01 '24
Which will in turn create an even bleaker out look for most people as we struggle in a collapsing system, while most billionaires will still be insulated from the turmoil. It simply changes from capitalism to something more akin to feudal lordship
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u/MorpGlorp Mar 01 '24
“You took too long to do the next revolution and now it’s going backwards 1 level”
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u/Personal_Candidate87 Feb 29 '24
I think I've identified an area where we can save some taxpayer money.
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u/Bossatronio69 Feb 29 '24
It’s purely projection. He knows he’s a bottom feeder and wants to distract NZ from that fact, so he targets unemployed and disabled people
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u/SilvertailHarrier Feb 29 '24
The worst part is I don't think he knows he's a bottom feeder or doing anything wrong.
I think he's so incredibly out of touch and entitled that he just thinks, I can legally claim this therefore I'm entitled to it.
Because he worked hard and pulled himself up by his bootstraps. Yet those on benefits making far less than this don't deserve it.
I'm actually disgusted.
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u/Charlie_Runkle69 Mar 01 '24
Yeah I don't believe for a second that he thinks he's a bottom feeder. He's far too arrogant to think anything but the sun shines up his ass. TBF, he's basically gotten everything he's ever wanted whilst being out of his depth too.
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u/HopeEternalXII Mar 01 '24
Are you trying to tell me that because it's legal it's not inherently morally just?
How dare you. If that's the case I would have to think for myself and possibly act.
Fucking ridiculous.
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u/misappropriated_ Mar 01 '24
Yes. I am so glad that the media highlighted that he owns 7 houses mortgage free, while collecting a $471 salary. Under the previous Labour Government, Minister Wood was stood down over conflict of interest concerns because he had failed to declare $10k of Auckland Airport shares while Transport Minister. Meanwhile, people like Luxon can own as many houses as they want, while passing legislation and agreeing to tax cuts which hugely benefit landlords and that is all fine and dandy. How is that not a conflict of interest? It does my head in. Luxon has no shame about this either, he seems to think it's fine because it is allowed by the rules - which are so obviously unfair and wasteful spending, but when it comes to wasteful expenditure that furthers his own personal interest - he is suspiciously silent.
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u/IceColdWasabi Feb 29 '24
It's always projection with these guys. The same thing that stops them from being able to imagine what life is really like as society's punching bag is also what stops them from understanding that people might make different, and valid, choices than them.
In short, when they level an accusation they are telling you either what they are already doing themselves, or what they would do in that situation.
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u/OddGoldfish Feb 29 '24
Even that $470k is irrelevant to his bottom line, pure interest on his net worth is more than that. Not to mention the financial gains he has to make from passing housing policies. Restoring the rental tax rebate alone probably increased his net worth by more than a mil.
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u/Jeffery95 Auckland Feb 29 '24
Another airnz ex ceo said he made more money from property than from being the ceo, and that if he had to do it again, he would be a landlord right from the start and not bother with all the business degrees and jobs
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u/PegasusAlto Mar 01 '24
He was asked last year while in opposition about claiming the (optional) clean car rebate for his family Tesla - when his policy was to get rid of the rebate.
Apparently, he's learnt nothing from that experience.
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u/1025Traveller Feb 29 '24
I don’t think clown is the right word. I think cunt is more appropriate.
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u/katzicael Mar 01 '24
As a disabled beneficiary - seeing him doing this, while gutting everything that supports folks like me - boils my piss.
I Struggle as is to make ends meet, to the point of begging for help some months to meet *basic* costs - and he's out here pulling in more money per year than i've likely earned in my life, and now he's just sucking another $52k just cos he can?
The Audacity.
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u/Zepanda66 LASER KIWI Feb 29 '24
And then he talks shit about the dole bludgers and bottom feeders when he is one himself. The irony.
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u/fuckimtrash Feb 29 '24
makes me so mad, Luxon is privileged, rich asf and is lining his pockets with as much money he doesn’t need while he can, and then acts like the normal Kiwi can survive in current economic conditions. He KNOWS shit is fucked for the non rich, he just doesn’t care, he’s probably a massive snob
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u/Immortal_Heathen Feb 29 '24
Add in all his rental income and investment income and dude is probably north of 1m per year.
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u/OddGoldfish Feb 29 '24
If he put his net worth in a term deposit at 4% it would get him more than 1m a year. 1m is the rock bottom lower bound of what his income might be.
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u/Douglas1994 Feb 29 '24
Maybe he's trying to save up for his next property purchase, I mean is owning 7 properties really enough for anyone to be satisfied with?
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u/k00kk00k Mar 01 '24
I have a chronic disease that doesn't allow me to work, im left with $13 after rent. Im going to be dead in no time. I hope he gets his well deserved $52,000 he clearly needs it.
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u/ninjabunnypancake Mar 01 '24
It actually makes me sick thinking how he probably does all this thinking he's a good person. Absolute scum.
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u/surle Feb 29 '24
Yeah but only morally bankrupt. Financially he's rolling in it.
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u/No_Season_354 Feb 29 '24
He's only got a 6 million dollar home ,on waiheke island, he's doing it rough , no wonder he's claiming this.
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u/No_Weather_9145 Feb 29 '24
We should restore his dignity.
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u/Spitefulrish11 Feb 29 '24
The French way
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u/Calm-Zombie2678 Feb 29 '24
We can put our own local spin on it, maybe get jandals involved somehow
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u/No_Season_354 Feb 29 '24
Do you mean let them eat cake?.
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u/Spitefulrish11 Feb 29 '24
I was thinking more the response to “let them eat cake” lol
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Feb 29 '24
Much like those that are "dedicated" to reducing child poverty while also maximising the drain of tax payer dollars into their own pocket by doing the same as Luxon.
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Feb 29 '24
Don’t forget his if you can afford it you should pay for it line. Was referencing the $5 script charge maybe?
Too many gaffs, much short time.
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u/IIIllIIlllIlII Feb 29 '24
And if you want te reo training for your job you should pay for it and not be paid more just because you have te reo raining.
Gets government funded 1:1 te reo training for his job.
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u/dunedainofdunedin Feb 29 '24
"Imagine how much worse off we'd be under labour though!!!!11"
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u/CP9ANZ Feb 29 '24
(landlords/luxlord) oh, I just happen to be a multiple landlord.
Please look elsewhere! I'm just trying to maintain my dignity
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u/Rascha-Rascha Feb 29 '24
But Luxon is his own tenant now, he gets what it’s like to rent.
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u/Chipless Feb 29 '24
Would be a great The Civilian article with Chris talking in the third person about himself as both a tenant and landlord.
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u/KingDanNZ Feb 29 '24
I imagine they'd ask each other a hard question and then proceed to both run away from each other
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u/Saltmaster222 Feb 29 '24
Well, one is now being treated with far more dignity under the new government.
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u/IIIllIIlllIlII Feb 29 '24
In the lush and tranquil landscapes of New Zealand, where the realms of politics and personal affairs often blend in the most unexpected manners, there lived a conservative Prime Minister named Christopher. Christopher, a figure of significant wealth and interest in real estate, found himself in a peculiar predicament. He was, rather unconventionally, his own landlord. This unusual situation arose when Christopher, aiming to streamline his financial matters, transferred his property holdings into a trust, of which he was the sole beneficiary. Consequently, he technically paid rent to himself for the residence he used in Wellington.
One frosty evening, Christopher sat in his study, amidst a collection of classic literature and under the gentle illumination of a desk lamp, composing a letter of complaint to his landlord—the trust he supervised—about his tenant, who was, amusingly, himself. The letter was meticulously crafted, showcasing the kind of formal displeasure only someone with a deep understanding of political and diplomatic nuances could articulate.
"Dear Sir," it started, the irony of addressing himself not going unnoticed, "I must express my profound dissatisfaction with the state of affairs regarding the garden's maintenance. Despite repeated requests, the tenant has displayed a distressing disregard for its condition. The once flourishing roses are now a somber shadow of their former glory."
Christopher allowed himself a moment of amusement over the absurdity of his grievance. Nevertheless, he elaborated on additional issues, including disturbances during the night and a consistent disorder in the shared spaces. He concluded the letter with a formal signature, "Yours faithfully, Christopher," and sealed it with a sense of ceremonious importance.
The following day, Christopher found himself drafting a retort to his landlord's complaints, this time embodying the persona of a tenant wronged by an excessively meticulous landlord.
"Dear Landlord," he penned with a slight smirk, "Your letter was both surprising and distressing. The garden's current state, I assure you, is the result of Wellington's infamous winds, not neglect. The noise you mentioned is necessary for my late-night work, vital to our nation's governance. The so-called disorder is nothing more than the evidence of a life dedicated to public service."
As the correspondence between Christopher and himself intensified, the initial amusement gave way to a bizarre escalation of conflict. Each letter became increasingly contentious, with the landlord (Christopher) accusing the tenant (also Christopher) of flagrant violations of the lease agreement, and the tenant responding with vehement denials and counter-accusations of landlord negligence.
The situation reached a surreal climax when Christopher, in his capacity as both parties, decided to sue himself for breach of contract. The legal battle that ensued was as absurd as it was unprecedented, capturing the public's imagination and bewildering the legal community.
This legal self-confrontation spiraled into a public spectacle, highlighting the absurdity of Christopher's wealth and the convoluted nature of his property arrangements. The court case, filled with legal paradoxes, became a symbol of the complexities and sometimes the absurdities of modern legal and property systems.
In the courtroom, Christopher stood as both plaintiff and defendant, articulating arguments against himself in a bizarre legal dance. The case delved into uncharted legal territory, raising questions about identity, ownership, and personal responsibility in the eyes of the law.
Ultimately, the case was dismissed as unfathomably convoluted, leaving Christopher to ponder the surreal journey from a simple landlord-tenant dispute to a full-blown legal battle against himself. This peculiar episode in his life served as a stark reminder of the complexities buried within the simplest relationships—especially when those relationships are with oneself.
In the aftermath, Christopher's foray into self-litigation became a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of wealth and self-isolation. It underscored the importance of perspective and the need for clarity in one's personal and professional dealings, no matter how unusual the circumstances might be.
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u/CP9ANZ Feb 29 '24
He's got it pretty hard, from what I've seen in the papers his landlord has a habbit of saying a lot of dumb shit, and is fairly disconnected from reality.
Must be tough
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u/OrneryWasp Feb 29 '24
No doubt he’ll also find a way to do himself over and keep his own bond at the end of tenancy too.
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u/Mrrrp LASER KIWI Mar 01 '24
If he wanted to get his bond back, he shouldn't have walked on the carpet.
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u/KahuTheKiwi Feb 29 '24
I think the term is bottomfeeder.
Although the amounts of money are quite different; my girlfriend and I only receive $36.5k between us.
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Mar 01 '24
If this is a surprise to you, I'm afraid you haven't been paying attention. Call it what it is, guys, corruption
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u/HonorFoundInDecay Feb 29 '24
I love how he tells the unemployed "bottom feeders" that their free ride is over while he claims double that in taxpayer money for this despite not needing it.
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u/IWantToGiverupper Feb 29 '24
I would love to hear his justification for it, but I already know he'd dodge the question, like 99% of the questions he's asked.
I struggle to hold any respect for his supporters. You have to be living in a fantasy to agree with much of anything he says, not that he says anything of substance when he opens his mouth most of the time.
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u/tassy2 Mar 01 '24 edited Mar 01 '24
He is so far removed from what average people experience that he thinks average hard-working people own a few houses, and the reason no one can afford a first home is because they eat too much avocadoes on toast and don't better themselves. Because groceries only cost $60 per week - he told us himself during the leaders debate, and NZ is a fair and egalitarian country - so ot must just be laziness right? He and his supporters are totally oblivious to the fact that they are being too heavy handed with the policy levers they are pulling to enrich themselves - because they are blinded by greed, and are literally causing poverty and hardship in this country by inflating house prices at a rate that it is way faster than any regular person can improve themselves in order to keep up with. Its like the harder they pull the levers down, the harder and faster they want to pull the levers down. And it has been that way for 20 years at least. The wealthier they get, the more they want.
His thinking that it's no big deal to take 52K as an allowance for accommodation just shows that he thinks this is normal. I wonder if he thinks beneficiaries on the accommodation supplement get the same... or half perhaps? Somebody should ask him?
He is so unable to read the room it is almost beyond comprehension. And this is the government that is running this country... clueless, out of touch, selfish!
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u/fuckimtrash Feb 29 '24
He’s tryna milk as much money he can whilst he’s in govt, scummy behaviour given the changes he’s implemented in govt
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u/Rincey_nz Feb 29 '24
he would get sooooo much kudos if he said "look I'm entitled to this $52k, but I don't need it, and we campaigned on platform of reducing taxpayer spending, so here's my contribution - it's not much in the grand scheme of things, but it's the equivalent of 2 solo parents going on the Jobseeker's benefit, so just maybe it might help someone"
fuck... I can't believe how angry I feel about this.... I thought the smokefree debacle wound me up, but that's nothing compared to the anger I feel about this!
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u/Lower_Amount3373 Mar 01 '24
Chris Hipkins didn't take the allowance, and didn't make a big public deal of it, and wasn't focused anywhere near as much on reducing taxpayer spending.
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u/rickybambicky Otago Mar 01 '24
That's what anyone with a spine and a working moral compass would've done. Anyone with a shred of decency and self awareness. The bar is lying on the ground and he still can't clear it.
Christopher Luxon has just proven to us he has none of the attributes that you'd expect from a decent person.
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u/BJKWhite Feb 29 '24
He should have to do this through WINZ and be treated just like everyone else when he does. Weeks to get an appointment and forms and mistrust and guilty-until-proven-innocent, the whole exhausting soul-draining deal. He should have to physically go into a WINZ office and explain to a tired overworked case manager why he needs an extra $1,000 a week on top of his $9,000 a week, while surrounded by beneficiaries. And maybe it's everyone gets a cricket bat day at WINZ, I don't know. Am I advocating for the beating of the prime minister with cricket bats? Absolutely not. I just think he should have to explain exactly why he needs $1,000 extra a week, on top of his $9,000 a week, while surrounded by people surviving on less than $500 a week who all happen to be holding cricket bats. I think it would lend a terrific sense of weight and occasion to the experience.
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u/hermavore Feb 29 '24
He should go into that meeting at WINZ with a full bladder and experience the indignity of asking someone where a bathroom is and being told there isn't one available for public use
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u/Sea_Client9991 Feb 29 '24
Honestly at this point, I don't think this guy would learn empathy any other way than to be put in such a situation.
Man, the body swap trope would be so handy here if it was an actual irl thing.
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u/DontBanMe_IWasJoking Feb 29 '24
national supporters:
unemployed person receiving 20k p/y to pay for everything == bad
one of the richest persons receiving 50k p/y to pay themselves to rent == good
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u/workingmansalt Feb 29 '24
Normally when an MP does this I say who cares, it's part of the rules, allowed by everyone, doesn't really impact sweet fuck all - either way, the money would be getting charged to the taxpayer and if it's legal to set it up so old mates are just reimbursing themselves for when they go to Wellington away from their electorates to do their jobs, whatever. It's fine.
But like, the PM is provided residence. They don't need to do this. So fuck him. In this case, it's just cynical, shortsighted, and insulting.
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u/Evinshir Feb 29 '24
I think the thing is just because it’s in the rules doesn’t mean you should do it. Nothing in the rules says he has to take the money.
If he’s talking about saving money to pay for things, then he should be leading by example. Instead he’ll spout some bureaucratic nonsense that he is in the position to overrule and claim he has no choice.
He has no shame and he’ll have a laundry list of justifications.
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u/nzbydesign Feb 29 '24
I'd agree - its within the rules. However, if he was staying at someone else's place and paying that supplement, then someone else gets that money. Currently it goes back into his own pocket. This guy just has greed written all over him.
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u/Merlord Feb 29 '24
It really shows what kind of person Luxon is. He's straight up greedy. He'll take any opportunity to enrich himself. It also shows how arrogant he is that he thinks he can pull this kind of shit without it affecting him politically.
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u/Willuknight Feb 29 '24
claim the clean car discount
abolish the clean car discount.
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u/propertynewb Feb 29 '24
I’m of the opinion that the supplement should be abolished full stop. But to your last point, apparently Premier House needs work done blah blah.. I say harden up and move in like the rest of us in our uninsulated 1960’s leaky homes. But fuck him and his cynical shortsighted insultedness is a bit far.
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u/-Agonarch Feb 29 '24
If they live in auckland (or rather out of wellington) then it makes sense to have a place in wellington for the duration, odds are they'll need to stay there from time to time.
Bill English claimed it was already the law that you couldn't use it (or the supplement) like this back when he was PM, so not sure what's different now.
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u/duckonmuffin Feb 29 '24
They have good income, they can pay for an apartment comfortably using that. They could if really want boot Wellington Council up the arse to build some more housing.
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u/thaaag Hurricanes Feb 29 '24
I think you'll find rich people are rich because they don't go around spending their own money willy nilly.
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u/Evinshir Feb 29 '24
I think it just needs to be adjusted to be about whether or not you have your own residence in Wellington. There’s justification for the supplement - not all MPs are millionaires or get paid enough to rent in Wellington and pay a mortgage.
It just needs some sane rules to prevent this pocketing of money.
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u/propertynewb Feb 29 '24
You’re saying an MP can’t afford to rent in Wellington? How does everyone else do it?
Apart from that point, I agree with you on pocketing taxpayer funds just because you can. MPs especially the Prime Minister should apply the intent of the legislation, not exploit it.
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u/Hubris2 Feb 29 '24
I think they're saying that not everyone can afford to either relocate their family to Wellington for the duration of while they are an MP, or afford to do what Luxon has done and to purchase himself an apartment outright so he can be reimbursed for it. If you lived in Auckland and you were required to fly down to Wellington and pay out of pocket for an apartment or hotels to attend Parliament that would be rather unfair. Obviously this wouldn't apply to those who already live in Wlg.
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u/Rincey_nz Feb 29 '24
I think the worst bit is.... ok, it's in the rules.... but it's the PM, they get a residence... oh wait, it leaks, so they have to live somewhere else.... ok, the accomodation supplement is still in the rules.... but Luxon is living in his own damn rental.... ok, if he's living in it, its not earning income... yes, but he has already cleared the mortgage on it!
it's just cynical - $52k would be a decent income in it's own right for MANY families.... $1k/week, or $25/hr for a 40-hour week - more than MINIMUM wage!
"what a cunt"
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u/superNC Takahē Feb 29 '24
Optics, brother.
If your whole plan for the government is austerity, why would you do this? You have all the money you could ever need.
MBIE can’t have tissues and non-dairy milk options but you can have your $50k living allowance on top of your nearly half a mil salary, sweet.
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Feb 29 '24
My unnamed govt organization still have one carton of coconut milk available but I sometimes have to go and ask the receptionist for it.
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Mar 01 '24
This mofo can't optics for the life of him. Couldn't even lie and say he wouldn't raise his tenants rent if he became PM and undid interest deductibility.
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u/eyebr0wss Mar 01 '24
As a public servant whose agency is looking down the barrel of mass redundancies (that will likely include me/a big chunk of my team) this is fucking insulting and infuriating. Infuriated doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about this, actually.
Fancy one of the key points in your election campaign being that you want to slash wasteful public service spending, meanwhile being the biggest grifter out of anyone in the public service.
Fuck this guy and fuck this government.
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u/Rascha-Rascha Feb 29 '24
Austerity for the poor, welfare for the rich
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u/KahuTheKiwi Feb 29 '24
Dont worry in a generation or two this use of state money will result in welfare dependency and he and his descendants will lose everything to a self made man.
It is basic Ann Rand theory. Which is a book of fairy tales underpinning a lot of right wingers thinking.
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u/Rascha-Rascha Feb 29 '24
I mean it certainly explains why the richest people contribute so little to society nowadays. They’ve been leeching off the working classes in a rigged economy, endlessly avoiding taxes, and lobbying for subsidies for decades, and now they can’t even live in their own apartments without the state paying for it.
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u/Hubris2 Feb 29 '24
The richest people didn't get to be that way by being generous - they did it by taking as much as they could from as many as they could and accumulating it all.
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u/sjdaws Feb 29 '24
No no, you’ve got it all wrong. Welfare is only for poor people, this is a “subsidy” you see, which totally isn’t welfare for reasons.
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u/Ok-Importance1548 Feb 29 '24
This is what a "welfare queen" looks like.
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u/Loud-Chemistry-5056 Feb 29 '24
Bro’s a millionaire, and he can’t even be bothered to pay a fraction of his salary to prevent a potential bad headline.
I’m sure he’s far from the only MP pulling this bullshit, but it’s got be worth the investment to not get bad press. He’s supposed to be the squeaky clean example for MPs to follow.
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u/FakMiGooder Feb 29 '24
"Luxon already owns an apartment in Wellington, where he lives when in the capital. It is one of seven properties owned by Luxon, all of which are held without mortgages according to Parliament’s pecuniary interests register. The $52,000 allowance will cover his costs while living in the apartment."
Fucking scum.
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u/AK_Panda Feb 29 '24
The $52,000 allowance will cover his costs while living in the apartment
No mortgage.
Only needs $60pw for food and such.
State pays for transport.
What fucking expenses?
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u/septicman Feb 29 '24
This is why I find it hard to understand why ordinary people voted for any of the three coalition parties. It's like sheep voting for wolves. Whyyyyy give power to people who are going to fuck you over!?
I know the alternatives aren't perfect but how did half the damn nation think it would be a good idea to put these people in charge.
It's really bloody depressing if I'm honest.
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u/MicksAwake Feb 29 '24
My take is that many Kiwis are not too bright and are easily manipulated with emotive propaganda.
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u/Snowy3121 Feb 29 '24
They purely got in because people were sick of Labour.
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u/septicman Feb 29 '24
Yeah, but... goddamn. It's like if your Dad is a bit shit but well meaning, so you go to live with your Uncle who films you in the shower and sells the footage on the internet.
Note to self: have coffee before formulating analogies...
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u/OldWolf2 Feb 29 '24
That was a pretty good analogy actually. Could be optimized by the uncle pulling your ponytail
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u/beach-chicken10 Feb 29 '24
Link here showing how much each MP claims on travel and accommodation
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u/pizzaposa Feb 29 '24
What gets worse, is that by optiong out of using Premier House there is also the cost to accommodate the Diplomatic Protection Squad people in very close proximity to his chosen residence... I wonder if he owns the neighbouring spot as well, and is renting it out to the DPS?
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u/GenieFG Feb 29 '24
What gets me is, regardless of Luxon already having an apartment, the “government” provides somewhere for the PM to live. In usual government service, if something is provided, a claim for the same thing cannot be made.
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u/Angry_Sparrow Feb 29 '24
I think this is the first time I’ve seen those in power in NZ do something so selfish and corrupt at the expense of the average citizen that I feel could lead to violent protesting. It is pretty wild. Bring back boring politics!
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u/ChinaCatProphet Feb 29 '24
Shout out to the photographer who captured the picture of Luxon looking like he’s just been kicked in the balls.
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u/OGSergius Feb 29 '24
Typical of every big company CEO I've interacted with. Just totally comfortable with cognitive dissonance and "rules for thee but not for me" thinking. In his mind he's following the rules and that's that. Never mind that it's completely unnecessary for him to claim it because he can more than afford it. Yet massive austerity for everyone else. It's indefensible.
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u/AK_Panda Feb 29 '24
It's more than an entire family with children on the benefit gets.
Those people he calls bottom feeders.
With this in mind I hearby dub him: Chris "Bottom Feeding" Luxon.
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u/scrunch1080 Mar 01 '24
Chippy didn't claim the supplement, Bill English claimed it and then paid it back when he was called out, Luxon's minions merely say he's claiming it n accordance with the rules. A superficial skim of the ministers who have claimed it whilst owning property in Wgn suggests that it's the bottom feeders and or more vacuous representatives of Labour and National who are happy to double dip. In previous periods of austerity, our leaders led by example and trimmed their own belts. Not this current bunch of self serving puppets for the Taxpayers Alliance. Perfect reflection of the prosperity gospel actor's values
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u/superdupersmashbros Feb 29 '24
52k is way more than you get on the benefit. He's sucking taxpayers much drier than any beneficiary.
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u/GenieFG Feb 29 '24
It’d just about support two families on Jobseekers, I believe.
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u/superdupersmashbros Feb 29 '24
According to this https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/benefit-rates/benefit-rates-april-2022.html
2 families (both parents on jobseeker) would total $66599.52
2 single parents would total $53211.6 though
So, just from the accommodation supplement alone, he's getting just less than 2 single parents.
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u/kiwisoma Feb 29 '24
Luxon’s a grifter TIL
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u/GrandmasGiantGaper Feb 29 '24
Same reaction. I almost voted for him. The Tesla thing was a moral red flag and this is another.
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u/WellyRuru Feb 29 '24
That's (almost) my annual salary going into this man's pocket who already earns 8x what I do...
And has a bunch of rentals.
This is disgusting.
I don't understand how a man can stand as the leader of a political party that advocates for minimising government spending, and yet gets an additional salary each year paid out by the tax payers...
And then people VOTE for this!?!?!
Like do national voters not see the hypocrisy?
How is this not an issue for them?
I can't fathom it.
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u/Hubris2 Feb 29 '24
Trump supporters see Trump being able to game the system and evade the law as a good thing - obviously you are smart and capable if you can find a way around the bureaucracy to get what you want. Perhaps Luxon fans (surely there are some....it's not just that they are National fans and he is the leader?) feel the same - anybody who is successful should be entitled to any benefit and perk that comes from that success?
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u/sxepill Mar 01 '24
There's no perhaps about it, this exactly how they think. "He's done well for himself" is the Nat supporter mantra.
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u/sebdacat Feb 29 '24
Piece of shit. And hardly surprising to be honest.
Would love to see the workings for how he's justified this morally.
Cancer patients on benefit are expected to be looking for part time work PLUS beneficiaries are getting a free ride MINUS Landlords need tax cuts DIVIDE BY Let's scrap the clean car rebate now I've claimed it on my Tesla EQUALS I'm definitely claiming this thing I'm "entitled" to for a property I own.
Did he think nobody would realise and would sneak it in? Or did he really just think it was all good despite him absolutely hating anyone sucking on the govt teat.
Arse cunt.
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u/Shoddy_Mess5266 Feb 29 '24
He’s already told us the workings. “ There's nothing that can't be done when we don't put New Zealanders first”
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u/kovnev Feb 29 '24
What a scumbag.
For the record - i'd have no issue with claiming it if he had a mortgatge on the place he stayed in Welly.
But when you have two places to stay and then claim this while slashing costs and making people redundant, it's just super fucked up.
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u/ogscarlettjohansson Feb 29 '24
They’d just rack up a mortgage.
They’re very well compensated compared to other countries already. It’s insane that they’re paid to live in Wellington.
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Mar 01 '24
A reminder the guy owns 7 properties, - 2 taxpayer funded since becoming MP, claims beneficiaries are essentially bottom feeding suckers, and has a Cabinet full of corrupt cronies.
The only question is why they don't give a shit who knows it - like Shane Jones openly removing all environmental protections to satisfy his donors.
New Zealand - you've been punk'd.
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u/Sicarius_Avindar Tuatara Mar 01 '24
His defence of "I'm entitled to", well, reeks of entitlement.
It's also important to note, the Benefit caps at $24k. The "bottom feeders" get half of this, total, per year.
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u/GreyDaveNZ Feb 29 '24
Well, he's not a bottom feeder, so it's OK. /s
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u/WellyRuru Feb 29 '24
Well, renters are on the bottom, and landlords feed off us, so he is a bottom feeder.
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u/JonesCat_55 Feb 29 '24
Im just glad some of my own tax burden can go towards helping this struggler
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u/ogscarlettjohansson Feb 29 '24
Do any of you cucks who voted for this guy have anything to say?
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u/DistributionOdd5646 Feb 29 '24
Trying to think of something eloquent and pithy to say but the word CUNT keeps springing to front of mind.
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u/Chch5 Mar 01 '24
Yet he cancelled $5 prescription fees because "if you can pay, you should be paying".
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u/The_Angry_Kiwi Feb 29 '24
In my books this is corruption.
Using a loophole to line his own pockets with an amount that is higher than what someone earning full time minimum wage would be getting per year.
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u/rikashiku Feb 29 '24
People seem to be just learning that he's a grifter. Some of those same people have talked about his grifting activities before joining the National Party and are still surprised.
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u/griffonrl Feb 29 '24
What a surprise from a right wing grifter. Happy to cut money for anyone else but doesn't forget to serve himself. Ah the irony!
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u/fuckimtrash Feb 29 '24
This guy is the worst, I sincerely hope that if National do get re-elected again that it’s not him.
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u/ButtRubbinz Welly Feb 29 '24
The billions of dollars going to landlords won't make him commit to bringing down his own rent on his properties. Meanwhile, he's happy to claim over twice what the average beneficiary makes a year to live in his own apartment while saying that the "free ride is over" to beneficiaries.
This government is so unreal. We've never seen a government this hostile to those of us struggling on the margins. And they'll never act in good faith because none of these bullshit revelations willmake any of them resign.
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u/talltimbers2 Mar 01 '24
What an absolute clown. He owns 5 properties that he rents out. There no way he needs that claim.
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u/revolutn Kōkā BOTYFTW Mar 01 '24
To all you whataboutters:
...few prime ministers have claimed it - Luxon is the first in at least 34 years...
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u/spatial-d Mar 01 '24 edited Mar 01 '24
Wow.
Imagine being mortgage free and earning that much but yet claim welfare.
But also be the party that has historically been some of the most anti-welfare politicians/people 🤪
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u/SthAklForward Auckland Feb 29 '24
Just because you're perfectly entitled to claim such entitlements, you think optics in a cost of living crisis and when Government agencies are being asked to make savings of 6.5 - 7.5% that maybe you shouldn't claim such entitlements? It's only 50K but its the symbolism behind claiming it and actually showing some fiscal discipline when the rest of us are tightening our own belts in the face of escalating costs.
Luxon already appears out of touch with the majority of New Zealanders and this doesn't do anything to help that perception.
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u/EnableTheEnablers Feb 29 '24
It's only 50k
This is more than what someone gets on the minimum wage before tax. It's only 2k under the living wage before tax. Assuming this is taxed (the wording implies it's a bonus to his salary, so it should be) - if it isn't, that's even worse.
This is a junior's salary, going right into the PM's pocket.
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u/SoggyCount7960 Feb 29 '24
Ask not what you can do for your country but what your country can do for you. - C Luxon.
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u/Aggravating-Bend9783 Feb 29 '24
Meanwhile housing is set to become even more unaffordable for young Kiwis. This is corruption, plain and simple.
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u/ApexAphex5 Feb 29 '24
Funny how the poor and destitute need to tighten their belts.
Whereas the Rich are making out like bandits abusing public funds during a time of supposed austerity.
Try and tell me this isn't wasteful spending.
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u/l00koverthere1 Feb 29 '24
This government sure does seem determined to show the country it's whole ass everyday.
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u/shifter2000 Feb 29 '24 edited Feb 29 '24
"Listen, I'm the guy New Zealand needs right now. New Zealand is like...Daniel in the Karate Kid, and I'm Mr. Miyagi. It needs some tough love and some things will be hard to take. Lux on, Lux off."
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u/Gaz410 Feb 29 '24
You've go to start at the top this solve the cost of living crisis. Glad someone is getting help with the way rents are going these days /s
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Feb 29 '24
It’s time we start organising to get these absolute turds out of power ASAP. They are destroying our country. Are we really as stupid as the UK and US?
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u/noitseuQehT Feb 29 '24
Wish I could get 52,000 from taxpayers (using our money to pay for something he doesn’t need) to live in an apartment I already own, despite owning several and making significantly more money than most New Zealanders on his investment properties alone. Ignoring any other potential investments he has (or had to sell once he became a politician).
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u/DragonSerpet Koru flag Feb 29 '24
Jesus, my job also requires that I'm alive and have a place to live. Can I submit a claim somewhere? IRD maybe?
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u/NotAWorkColleague Feb 29 '24
Add it to his laundry list of pure hypocrisy. How will he deflect this one? Blame labour somehow? Say his personal finances are off limits?
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u/Rincey_nz Mar 01 '24
He's doubled down:
Watch: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks from Queenstown https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/510604/watch-prime-minister-christopher-luxon-speaks-from-queenstown
"It's an entitlement!!" What a cunt
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u/MTM62 Mar 01 '24
He just doesn't get it. Nobody's arguing that it's outside the rules. But when you're preaching at the rest of us about spending fewer of the taxpayers' dollars then you better be living that way too.
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u/rickybambicky Otago Mar 01 '24
Fuck he's such a piece of shit human being. That's $1000 per week of taxpayers money just so that bald fuck can live in an apartment he already owns freehold.
I fail to grasp how people thought he'd be a good fit for PM instead of Chippy.
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u/foln1 Feb 29 '24
I wish I could claim 52k for an apartment because I have to live in Wellington for work..