How disappointing is that?
And this is not a criticism of the team. I mean, the team has been one of the rockstar stories of the Super Rugby season. This is about the funding.
This is the kind of revelation, I reckon, that does huge damage to public confidence and Government use of taxpayer money.
Because this is money that, to our minds, is supposed to be going to some of the most vulnerable people, to helping Māori and Pasifika families with things like health, medical appointments, baby jabs, education, housing, that kind of thing.
But instead, we find out it's been going to fund a rugby team for elite athletes - and this has been going on for at least 2 years.
One of the outfits that's contracted to spend final order funds, Pacifica Medical Association Group - we're going to call them PMA - has been giving $770,000 a year to Moana Pasifika.
Now, if they do it again this year - we haven't got the financials - but if they do it again at the same level, it will total $2.3 million. That's a lot of money.
Now, credit where credit is due, credit to the new Whānau Ora minister or to his department. Either of which appears to have already stopped this in its tracks.
They've taken the contract off PMA, given it to a new outfit - and that outfit has to abide by a much tighter set of measurements around the spending and the money and a bit more clarity about whether they're getting their bang bang for their buck when they spend the dollars.
But once again, even though it has been stopped - and credit where credit is due - taxpayer money has been wasted.
And the lesson here, if there is a lesson, is that it is absolutely fine to hand out taxpayer money to a third party.
But if you do that, there have got to be rules and there has got to be supervision. Otherwise, money that we all think is going to families who need it could instead be propping up a rugby team.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show HERE - where this article was sourced.
7 comments:
Sport is one thing for good health, but what we see now with professionalism, is just wasteful spending!
It’s thanks to that line by line accounting that Nicola and her ministers have carried out. Yeah right. But that’s what you get when we have a finance minister with no financial qualifications.
There is no 'could' there is only 'should'.
Very many realised from the outset that Whanau Ora woud be a rort but Turia carried the day. As Polak observed near 200 years ago maori acquire mana by putting it across colonists, whether detected or not.
as a crusader fan I'm horrified!
That will only be the tip of the iceberg. ie Tauranga school rugby team going to Tahiti?. Kapa haka funding ? Lets be honest, Did PM Luxon pay for the Maori haka group accompanying him to China or the taxpayer ?? What about the costs of Hikois or car-kois to Parliament ? The snouts and all feet are [w]allowing in the taxpayer funds trough.
And anyone who disagrees will be called a racist of course. And the pathetic government will aplogise profusely and give them more of our money. So many people are leaving nz because of nonsense like this and soon it will just be the marxists who are left.
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