PM's bed tax U-turn is the third 'rock' for councils to swallow

PremiumAnalysisAnalysis byDerek ChengSenior Writer·NZ Herald·2 Sep, 2026 09:00 PM6 mins to readDerek Cheng is a Multimedia Journalist for the New Zealand Herald. He values holding those in power to account and shining a light on issues kept in the dark.‌Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has abandoned plans to look at introducing a bed tax for tourist accommodation. Photo / 123rfPromised a loaf of bread and given a rock.That’s how Mackenzie District Mayor Scott Aronsen described Christopher Luxon’s rapid U-turn on a bed tax.

The Prime Minister had promised to explore this in a signed deal with Auckland Council, and in deals about to be signed in other parts