Taxpayer funded rugby celebrations
March 30th, 2010 at 10:00 am by David FarrarThe Herald reports:
The Ministry of Maori Development is putting up $200,000 of taxpayers’ money to help pay for the Rugby Union’s centenary celebration of Maori rugby. …
Former All Black Billy Bush, who also captained the Maori team, said it smacked of cheapness that the union, which received millions from corporate sponsors, could not foot the bill for the centenary celebrations.
This is basically corporate welfare. It just happens to be TPK money in this case. It just shows that if you have taxpayer money available, corporates will find ways to grab it.
I don’t mind the contribution to the RWC as that has huge tourism benefits. But I can think of many more worthy causes for TPK, than subsidising the NZRFU.
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March 30th, 2010 at 10:07 am
I Agree
Vote:March 30th, 2010 at 10:12 am
The NZ government is sponsoring the “celebration” of 100 years of apartheid?
Vote:March 30th, 2010 at 10:15 am
I am fed up with the arrogance of Rugby and Rugby people, the RWC is going to cost us all a bloody fortune and now the apartheid team wants a hand out.
If the NZRU wants to host what will be a national embarrassment then the bastards should pay for it themselves, as for the apartheid team, well they can fuck off as well.
Vote:March 30th, 2010 at 10:15 am
If TPK are going to start throwing money at Rugby then in the name of fairness they should be financing celebrations of the other cultural Maori cornerstones…beer drinking, durrie smoking and beating children.
Vote:March 30th, 2010 at 10:22 am
im sick of you sitting on the fence bruv.
Vote:March 30th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Neville Key keeps telling us we are in a recession.
Yet we have money for apartheid rugby teams, RWC, and the joke that is the “Yoof” Parliament.
When will these bastards stop wasting my fucking money?
Vote:March 30th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Hey Dime,
Is your Uncle Andrew going to resign today?
Vote:March 30th, 2010 at 11:39 am
I agree with David – this is corporate welfare.
To make things worse, Aucklanders like myself have to foot a $10 million bill (see http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/events/rugby/default.asp) for an event which will only serve the interests of a few select businesses – even if we didn’t have to pay for it, the majority of Aucklanders will actually suffer because of the world cup, due to crowded streets and authoritarian corporate welfare legislation (http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2007/0035/latest/DLM411987.html) supported by all parties except the Green and Maori Parties (http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Debates/Journals/8/4/1/48HOHJournals200721081-Journals-of-the-House-for-the-week-beginning.htm).
Vote:March 30th, 2010 at 11:44 am
Given the history of Maori’s playing Rugby & SA, there is real irony in suggesting the Maori team is apartheid.
I think it’s a fair amount of money, we spend a helluva lot more than that on sports that no one cares about like Kayaking & it’s Nepotistic ways.
To be honest, I think the government should in it’s next term have a complete re-evaluation of all Sporting funding, there is way to much emphasis I believe on sports that are minority, when sports we should either do better at like Winter Olympics Snow Boarding or do well at with huge profile like Motor Sport are not given the levels of funding say France are successfully giving them.
There should be a cost-benefit analysis which includes profile, that can be used to direct our sports institutes to concentrate where we get a real return on investment irrespective of whether that sport is professional or amateur, taking into account the countries that follow the sports & we trade with, after all from the tax dollars going to help sports, then the country should get the best return.
Vote:March 30th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
NZ Maori rugby should have stayed out from under the governance of the NZRU. Billy Bush is dead right, the NZRU ARE cheap skates after all they now run both Maori & womens footy, this is a rugby event to be proud of…maybe he should bite off Tew’s finger?
As for the apartheid crap comments from the likes of tinhat & big blubba, bullshit! Handle it, we like to play footy amongst ourselves. Any rationale for the ignorant comments…or are you just well…ignorant.
Separate development South African-style during the larger part of the last century was purely racist and the boer method of subjugation & slavery (practically). Maori rugby is neither of those things obviously, nor is it an attempt at separate development, just an expression of being together as Maori on the footy field.
Take it for what it is…I won’t try to nudge your place in the Scottish Cultural Preservation Society…or whatever the skinheads call themselves these days. LOL
Vote:March 30th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
So Dazza you will have no problem with a rugby team where Maori are excluded on the basis that they have thier own team.
Vote:March 31st, 2010 at 10:50 am
Must be from Christchurch, devising that competition in your little mind are you Muz…heh heh!
Vote:March 31st, 2010 at 3:42 pm
No Daz not from ChCh, Levin actually, just answer the fucken question, play the ball not the man, you’ve already insinuated I am a rascist, why not just come out and say it, it’s about the only defence pricks like you use to defend seperatism.
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