APIAPE: Agents of Private Interest, Architects of Public Erosion

Simon Watts – Minister of Empty Targets, Guardian of Private Ledgers

Technocrat by Tone, Saboteur by Statute

Fiscal Control · Corporate Privilege · Climate Retreat · Local Capture

Current Portfolios

• Minister of Energy
• Minister of Local Government
• Minister of Revenue
• Minister of Climate Change

Simon Watts holds four of the most economically powerful portfolios in Government — Revenue, Energy, Local Government, and Climate Change. Few Ministers combine control over how money is raised, spent, and justified. Fewer still use it to quietly redraw the boundaries between private interest and public authority.

Watts presents himself as a calm technocrat — the voice of “discipline” and “efficiency”. Yet every reform under his name transfers control upward or inward: from councils to Cabinet, from Parliament to departments, from public oversight to private boardrooms. His legislative record turns simplification into delegation and accountability into procedure.

Whether reframing fiscal law to remove wellbeing, loosening tax privacy under “simplification”, or re-centralising local government under “system improvement”, the pattern is consistent: power concentrated, scrutiny reduced, and citizens recast as subjects of compliance rather than partners in democracy.

“His tone is mild, his methods administrative, his outcomes structural.” – Ukes Baha

Public Finance Amendment Bill – Watts & Willis: Wellbeing Out, Power In

As named sponsor, Watts advanced the bill that strikes “wellbeing” and “equity” from the Public Finance Act, replacing them with Treasury-speak about fiscal anchors and debt-to-GDP. The reform hard-codes austerity, limits future social investment, and centralises discretion in Cabinet hands.¹

Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill – Central Government Takeover of Councils

As Minister of Local Government, Watts fronts a bill that centralises control over councils under Wellington. It narrows the statutory purpose of local government, imposes a restrictive list of “core services”, and allows Ministers and officials to dictate rules, measures, and reporting structures.

• Centralised rules: Codes of conduct and standing orders issued by the Secretary — replacing locally adopted governance with central templates (Schedule 7).
• Narrowed purpose: New s.10 and s.11A push cost-effectiveness and “economic growth” while sidelining broader community wellbeing.
• Ministerial metrics: Expanded regulation-making and Secretary-set performance measures enable top-down targets with reduced consultation.
• Developer tilt: Development contribution deductions shift growth costs from developers to ratepayers.
• Transparency gaps: Repeal of “public notice” definition and carve-outs in consultant/contractor reporting weaken accountability.

👉 Why this bill takes over councils · Read the full submission · Submission deadline: 27 August 2025

Climate Commitments Dismissed

At a Federated Farmers forum, Watts assured the sector New Zealand faced “no invoice” for missing Paris targets, implying legal obligations were optional.² The comment triggered calls for his resignation from Climate Liberation Aotearoa, who labelled his stance “a disregard for human life”.

Earlier, on RNZ ahead of COP28, Watts “didn’t expect criticism” for reopening offshore oil and gas exploration while New Zealand still nominally pushed fossil-fuel phase-out.³

Revenue: The IRD Data-Leak Shrug

When Inland Revenue exposed data of more than 268,000 taxpayers, Watts expressed only “disappointment”, insisting IRD had taken “appropriate action”. The Taxpayers’ Union slammed his passivity, asking “Has Simon Watts forgotten who the Minister is?”⁴

Taxation (Annual Rates 2025–26, Compliance Simplification, and Remedial Measures) Bill – Simplification or Favouritism?

Watts introduced this Bill under the banner of “making tax simpler”. In reality, it grants more control to Inland Revenue, allows backdated application of rules, and expands government data-sharing without safeguards. While promoted as a clean-up exercise, it mainly benefits large corporates and consolidates bureaucratic power.

• Expanded data access: Enables Inland Revenue to share taxpayer data with Police and other agencies under new Ministerial agreements — bypassing standard privacy protections.
• Backdated enforcement: Several provisions apply from 1 April 2025 — months before Parliament votes, setting a dangerous precedent of retroactive taxation.
• Corporate priority: Key relief measures target share schemes, foreign investments, and joint ventures — structures mainly used by large firms.
• Delegated control: Shifts rate-setting and compliance determinations into administrative hands, eroding parliamentary oversight of taxation powers.

The Bill’s title hides its nature: “simplification” as centralisation. Instead of easing tax for citizens, it strengthens state reach while weakening transparency and individual protections.

“Simplification must not become a cover for privilege.” – Ukes Baha

👉 Why this Bill expands control and weakens privacy · Read the full submission · Submission deadline: 23 October 2025

Local Government: Rates Cap, Democracy Clamp

Watts told the Post/Infrastructure NZ Forum he was “working at pace” on a rates-capping model to put “guardrails” on councils.⁵ LGNZ warns the policy mirrors failed New South Wales caps that strangled community investment. In practice, the cap offloads central-government austerity onto already strained councils while shielding Wellington from blame.

Energy: Fossil-Friendly, Future-Light

After inheriting the Energy portfolio in January 2025, Watts doubled down on gas as a “transition fuel” and withdrew New Zealand from the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance, citing “no material significance”.⁶ Meanwhile, coal imports continued to spike for winter generation — the opposite of his claimed path to abundant renewable energy.

Media & Public Critique

The Daily Blog dubbed him “a joke looking for a punchline” after his emissions-reduction plan projected a 22 Mt ↑ increase in net emissions by 2030. Farmers’ Weekly published an open letter accusing him of threatening the sheep-and-beef sector with unattainable targets and blanket forestry offsets.

What You Can Do

• Watch every new finance, tax, or local government bill coming from his portfolios — the pattern is repetition disguised as reform.
• Challenge any move toward rates caps, centralised targets, or delegated tax powers — they reduce community control and public oversight.
• Expose the contradictions between his words and results: discipline becomes austerity, simplification becomes control, consultation becomes compliance.
• Share this exposé widely to build public record and collective memory of the policies reshaping governance under technical language.
• Hold your MPs and councils accountable — demand clear data, open decision-making, and genuine consultation before any new “system improvement” or “simplification” passes.

Every profile strengthens collective memory — ensuring no architect of erosion hides behind gentle words.
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