Matua Kahurangi: $16 Million for Ukraine while Kiwis can't afford the basics

Our hospitals are underfunded, schools are falling apart, and the Government is handing out cash to foreign grifters

Alright, you’re gonna need a vodka for this one. The New Zealand Government has just announced it will send another $16 million of taxpayer money to Ukraine. $16 million taken from hardworking Kiwis and sent overseas to a conflict that has nothing to do with us. While people in this country are sitting on surgery waitlists, teachers are burning out in overcrowded classrooms, and the health system is on its knees, Cindyboy thinks it's a priority to bankroll one of the most corrupt nations in Europe.

Ukraine is fast becoming the global grift that never ends. The so-called aid packages vanish into a fog of vague “humanitarian” spending, demining projects, and “support for the energy sector” with no meaningful oversight. The only thing we know for certain is that it is not helping New Zealanders one bit. We keep being told this is about solidarity and values. But the only thing we are really seeing is a Government more committed to looking good on the world stage than actually delivering for the people who elected them.

Ukraine’s ambassador to New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, had the gall to tweet:

“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister @chrisluxonmp and Foreign Minister @NewZealandMFA for their announcement of a generous NZD $16 million support package for Ukraine. This powerful gesture of solidarity means more than words can say.”

 

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Of course he is grateful. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to receive millions of dollars with no strings attached from a country that cannot even meet its own basic needs? It is easy to express gratitude when you are on the receiving end of yet another taxpayer-funded handout. This is not diplomacy. It is exploitation. Ukraine has played Western governments like a fiddle, and New Zealand is apparently more than happy to be taken for a ride.

If this Government can magically find $16 million to send offshore, then it is a clear sign we are being taxed into the ground for the benefit of everyone except ourselves. That money could have gone into the health system to reduce wait times and save lives. It could have funded new medical equipment, paid for more nurses, or addressed the crisis in emergency departments. It could have been used to support the education sector, where teachers are leaving in droves and students are falling behind. Instead, it has gone into a foreign war zone, with zero accountability, and zero return

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This is not just a question of priorities. It is a complete failure of leadership. New Zealanders did not vote for a government that acts like a global charity while its own citizens suffer. We are not Ukraine’s wallet. We are not responsible for fixing a war-torn country that has been plagued with internal corruption for decades. We are responsible for taking care of New Zealanders first.

The fact that this Government continues to throw money at Ukraine while ignoring its own broken systems is a slap in the face to every taxpayer in this country. Kiwis are tired of footing the bill for international virtue-signalling while our health system crumbles and our schools fight to survive.

No more foreign handouts. No more cash for Ukraine’s grifters. It is time for the Government to grow a spine and start looking after New Zealanders.

Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.