Members Highlights

This collaboration between the US group, Taxpayers Protection Alliance, and the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance, is a perfect example of how the WTA can be helpful to global taxpayer protection movement.  Building relationships, sharing ideas, and helping one another fight against global threats to the taxpayer.

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) has been sounding the alarm on various attempts by governments around the globe to institute plain packaging policies for tobacco. Australia was the first country to pass legislation mandating plain packaging of tobacco and after just a few years, the impact has been exactly what TPA warned they would be: greater tobacco consumption, increased illicit trade, and loss of revenue. Last week, the following submission was made to the Australian Parliament for public comments regarding the plain packaging laws. You can also download the full submission by clicking here.

I wanted to thank Tim Andrews for alerting us to this opportunity.  In my opinion, this is exactly the type pf coordination groups from around the world need to do more of.

If you submitted comments, please feel free to share with the group.

-David

David Williams

President

Taxpayers Protection Alliance

www.protectingtaxpayers.org

Read here how the Ghanaian government has misused road construction funds, and are now issuing a tax hike in the form of a toll.  The TPA Ghana is calling them out on this dishonest practice.

http://news.peacefmonline.com/pages/news/201508/252191.php

The Taxpayers’ Alliance Ghana said they are “opposed to any form of increase in taxes and levies considering the economic hardships that the Ghanaian taxpayer is going through, the high cost of doing business coupled with the current energy crisis.”

Mr. Bekoe charged government to render an account to Parliament on the usage of the road fund before thinking of burdening the taxpayer with increments.

This week, Michael Jaeger & Daniel Junker of the German Taxpayers Association met with Sarah Elliott and Staffan Wennberg in London to plan for the upcoming biennial WTA Conference in Berlin on the 18-19th March 2016. It was a productive meeting, as speakers and panels were ironed out and ideas shared. While in London, they met with the UK’s Jonathan Isaby, CEO of the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA).  Michael and Daniel got to see the offices of the TPA, and meet some of the staff too . Should any of you come through London, do please contact Jonathan and check out the TPA!

Read the latest news on international property rights from around the world. Written and compiled by Lorenzo Montanari, Americans for Tax Reform.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance of Ghana is bringing to light the wasteful government spending on President John Dramani Mahama’s vacation. Check out their latest press release to bring awareness to this issue.

Amid global debates on trade and regulatory reforms, the Property Rights Alliance (PRA) issued an open letter on July 20, 2015 to WIPO Director Dr. Francis Gurry in support of strong protections for all types of Intellectual Property. The WTA is a proud signatory.

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the release of The New Zealand Initiative’s report into workplace health and safety costs driving up the price of construction. The report by Dr Bryce Wilkinson, A Matter of Balance: Regulating Safety, finds these taxes cost New Zealand homeowners over $100 million per year.

Back in May at the European Resource Bank meeting, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance co-hosted a reception with the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance and the Property Rights Alliance where we talked about plain packaging of tobacco products and the potential for the next product to be alcohol. Well, it looks like we were right. Ireland is now considering plain packaging for alcohol. There are times when you are right but you don’t want to be. Here is TPA’s latest blog on the issue.

Tim Andrews, executive director of the Australia Taxpayers’ Alliance, is happy to report that the Australian Senate Economic References Committee has set up a committee to investigate the nanny state!

Read More to know about the successful Free Market Road Shows, news from the Austrian Economics Center, and upcoming taxpayer protection group events.