$70-million of new and old money.
Some for infrastructure like the cycleway network which needs an upgrade.
$10-million for regional tourism.
And the showstopper is this $40 for "significant, high-impact events for New Zealand from 2026".
The PM and Minister Upston came out yesterday and said these big major events are money-makers.
Hospitality does well. Tourism operators do well. Retail does well.
They called it a bonanza.
But if you're a fan of sailing. If you like the America's Cup, you might scratching your head.
It was only five months ago the PM say nah to backing the America's Cup.
Why? We're in a fiscal mess, we need to invest in "proper infrastructure" like hospitals and roads.
He said we need to be more responsible with taxpayers money.
And now we have new money for a pearl jam concert.
To be fair, the sums involved here are important. The Cup would have cost somewhere between 40 and 70 million on its own.
This entire fund, the bit for major events, is $40 million total.
But if you follow the reasoning and ask yourself the basic question, is there less demand for hospital or roading infrastructure now than there was then, you'd be right to feel a bit confused by all this.
Either the cup was a crap investment, or these investments, more generally are simply not a priority.
Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.
6 comments:
Of more immediate concern is will the police, in tandem with their mates Health NZ, oppose every single special alcohol license like they normally do for any event that is out of the ordinary? Obviously making sure the event doesn't proceed is in the polices interest, saves extra staff costs etc. But they can't be allowed to continue to try to shut down events just to save the police budget.
Anyone remember the Wellington 7's? The police didn't help that event surviving with their constant objections to the liquor license.
Every week this Govt and the PM shows the rest of us that they have no plan for our economic recovery its all bread and circus's while we watch our country burn to the ground with maori wonderfulness which is BS......Let us eat cake aye Nicola Willis who contiunues to do NOTHING as the Minister in charge of Economic Growth or recovery whatever it is she is doing or not doing she is not fooling anyone.
It is called window dressing. Sadly the PM is a show pony and from recent photo ops would rush to the opening of an envelope if it was a photo op
Luxon is the best qualified PM we've seen in our life times.
Luxon and his National ministers have done an exceptional job: fixing roads, education, infrastructure, health, vital international trade, land use, etc.
The exception is our finance minister.
I can't understand why the results driven Luxon has promoted and maintained the resultless Willis.
Luxon is WHAT!?
Mass walkout in 2026. I will move to scotland where MY ancestors are from.
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