Act Party slams housing agency Kāinga Ora (previously known
as Housing Corp) for $30,000 Māori carving spend.
Act leader, David Seymour, said "While vulnerable New
Zealanders are desperate for shelter, the agency tasked with housing them is
spending tens of thousands of dollars on artwork...We have people living in
motels and cars and tenants whose houses aren't up to standard. Instead of
them, Kāinga Ora is providing a home to expensive artwork."
But Kāinga Ora deputy chief executive Caroline Butterworth
has defended the commissioning of the artwork. She said one of the department's
main principles is recognising the relationship of Māori and their culture and
traditions with their ancestral lands.
And that is the problem. The main principle of the Housing
Corp used to be housing people in need. It is now clear that the main principle
of Kāinga Ora is recognising Māori culture and traditions.
There are now more than 22,500 people waiting for public
housing. In the last year that grew by
around 7,500.
Kāinga Ora should change its name back to what it was, and
get back to doing what it used to do.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/act-party-slams-housing-agency-kainga-ora-for-30000-maori-carving-spend/XJ6XCCSDTIBXTIRT6T7YOQXBGM/
1 comment:
All government departments are doing the same thing. Wasting tax payers money on expensive art works that only they see. The average member of the public NEVER enters a government department. It's a bit like visiting a slaughterhouse...why would you?
So all these artworks are strictly for the benefit of the government workers. Doesn't sound very fair or socialist to me. In fact it sounds very elitist. Of course, that's this government to a tee!
In the past the media would have been all over them but now you can only rely on bodies like ACT and the Tax Payers Union to bring it to public attention and call them to account.
Even then, because this government has sanctioned ALL spending, as long as it links to Maori in even the most tenuous of ways, the departments know they can do whatever they want as long as they quote the race card.
They must get very smug, just daring you to criticise so they can point and yell "racist" and accuse you of causing "hurt and dismay".
Of course 99.9% of Maori will likely never see these art works, commissioned in their name, and I suspect about the same % couldn't care less.
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