Jordan Williams (New Zealand lawyer)

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Jordan Williams (New Zealand lawyer)
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NationalityNew Zealand
EducationLindisfarne College
Alma materVictoria University of Wellington
Occupation
  • Lawyer
  • Founder
  • Executive Director

Jordan Henry Williams is New Zealand lawyer best known for his political activities.[1] He is a founder and current Executive Director of the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union, [2] a New Zealand Free Speech Union Council Member,[3] and the Chief Executive Officer and sole director of the Campaign Company.[4][5]

Early life and politics

Williams grew up in Hawkes Bay, Williams attended Lindisfarne College, and was a member of the Hastings Youth Council.[6] When he was 15 years-old, Williams joined the New Zealand Green Party, motivated by a fear of genetic engineering.[6]

While studying law and accounting at Victoria University of Wellington he interned for Don Brash (National Party leader 2003-2006), and in 2008 he was involved in former ACT MP Stephen Franks' election campaign as a National Party candidate. This led to him working at Franks' law firm for four years.

At 25 years old, Williams was a leading spokesman for Vote For Change, the main group that campaigned against MMP in the 2011 New Zealand voting system referendum.[7][8]

Taxpayers' Union

In 2013, Williams and David Farrar founded the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union as an incorporated society.[9]

In 2014, Nicky Hager's book Dirty Politics revealed collaboration between National Party figures including Judith Collins and "attack-blogger" Cameron Slater. Based largely on a hack of Slater's email account, the book also included Williams as an "enthusiastic helper, ready to help dig dirt on the latest target", as Hager later put it.[10][11]

From 2017 to 2019 Williams was a regular opinion columnist for NZME publications including the New Zealand Herald. Writing mostly about politics, tax and spending, his articles variously declared his interest as Chief Executive of the Taxpayers' Union, or only as "a Wellington-based lawyer, lobbyist and commentator".[12][13]

Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance

Williams founded the Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance as a company in 2015, using the Taxpayers' Union in Wellington as its registered office address.[9][14] While running the Ratepayers' Alliance, Williams also worked on multiple mayoral election campaigns. He remained the company's owner until it was wound up in 2021, with its activities being absorbed into the Taxpayers' Union.[15]

Free Speech Union

In 2018 Williams was a co-founder of the Free Speech Coalition, which later renamed itself the Free Speech Union. The group's initial motivation was to overturn Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff's cancellation of an event featuring alt-right speakers Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux at an council-owned venue. Their challenges were unsuccessful in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal.[16][17][18] Williams remains a board Member of the Free Speech Union.[19]

The Campaign Company

The Campaign Company's clients include Groundswell NZ[4] and We Belong Aotearoa.[20]

During the 2022 Auckland mayoral election the Campaign Company worked for two candidates - Leo Molloy and Viv Beck.[21] The company's working relationship with Molloy ended after the Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance (also run by Williams) criticised him in a full page newspaper ad.[22]

Colin Craig defamation case

In 2015 Colin Craig, former leader of the Conservative Party, sued Williams for defamation. Following Craig's appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, Williams and Craig settled the case. Williams issued an apology and agreed to make an undisclosed payment to Craig.[23]

References

  1. ↑ "Registry Lookup: Jordan Henry Williams". New Zealand Law Society. 24 June 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Our team". New Zealand Taxpayers' Union. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "About". Free Speech Union. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Sponsored Story: How to build a 'force for good'". New Zealand Herald. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Campaign Company Limited (8257633) Registered". Companies Register (New Zealand Companies Office). Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gullery, Lawrence (5 March 2012). "Ex youth leader says get elected". New Zealand Herald/Hawkes Bay Today. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  7. ↑ Macdonald, Nikki (3 February 2016). "National portrait: Taxpayers' Union founder Jordan Williams". Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  8. ↑ Vote For Change (27 June 2011). "Press Release: Vote for Change Campaign Launched". Scoop. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Fisher, David (13 November 2015). "The Big Read: So what's this Taxpayers' Union, which purports to represent us all?". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  10. ↑ Hager, Nicky (16 August 2017). "Sunlight did what sunlight does: Nicky Hager on Dirty Politics, three years on". The Spinoff. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  11. ↑ Fisher, David (14 August 2014). "Dirty Politics: Who are the key players?". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  12. ↑ Williams, Jordan (29 November 2017). "Golriz Ghahraman saga reveals Greens in-fighting". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  13. ↑ Williams, Jordan (22 May 2017). "Jordan Williams: Never a better time for tax relief". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "New Company Incorporation - AUCKLAND RATEPAYERS' ALLIANCE LIMITED". Companies Register. New Zealand Companies Office. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  15. ↑ Niall, Todd (7 March 2022). "Taxpayers' Union society wrongly listed as 'dissolved' after alleged hack". Stuff. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  16. ↑ Van Dongen, Yvonne (October 2022). "Voice Control". North and South. pp. 24–33. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  17. ↑ Weekes, John (4 August 2020). "Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux: 'Thugs' veto' canned visit, court told". Stuff. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  18. ↑ Niall, Tony (25 July 2018). "Right-wing Canadian speakers' visit canned, legal action on back burner". Stuff. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  19. ↑ "About". Free Speech Union. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  20. ↑ "webelong.co.nz (Active)". Domain Name Commission. Retrieved 16 August 2023. webelong.co.nz Registrant contact: Campaign Company, 17/125 Queen Street, Auckland 1010
  21. ↑ Fisher, David (24 August 2022). "Auckland mayoral candidate Viv Beck locked out of online campaign after unpaid bill". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  22. ↑ Morton, Nathan; Niall, Todd (5 August 2022). "Leo Molloy's media manager exits Auckland Mayoralty campaign team". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  23. ↑ Williams, Jordan (3 December 2019). "Press Release: Calling it quits with Colin Craig". Scoop. Retrieved 16 August 2023.

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