Money for photo ops, cuts to health

Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, March 17th, 2010 - 24 comments
Categories: sport - Tags: ,

Just a quick question: Why is John Key giving $300,000 to the All Whites’ World Cup campaign when they’re already making a $6 million profit from the $10 million they get for qualifying?

I like a bit of football but that doesn’t mean I blindly support money for it when there are more needy causes.

Why is there money for this while elder care is getting cut, while beneficiary training is being cut, while hospital beds are getting cut, while prisoner rehabilitation is getting cut, while adult education is getting cut?

Looks like we’re paying for some more John Key photo ops while ideological cuts are made to successful programmes.

24 comments on “Money for photo ops, cuts to health ”

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  1. IrishBill 1
    17 March 2010 at 11:00 am

    What a joke.

  2. gingercrush 2
    17 March 2010 at 11:12 am

    I just can’t believe you would link from Trevor Mallard’s post when most people there are disparaging his post.

  3. gobsmacked 3
    17 March 2010 at 11:17 am

    I need to have a lie down, because I just read today’s Herald editorial on this, and I agree. Yes, with the Herald. Help!

    (And of course someone will say Labour would have done it too, and they may be right, who knows? Doesn’t make it any better).

    For the record, I’ll be watching every game at the World Cup, and loving every minute of it. Can’t wait.

  4. Indiana 4
    17 March 2010 at 11:23 am

    Did you moan this much when all that money in the millions, let alone hundreds of thousdands, was given to a sport/closed organised event, that is only watched a by few people, that few people participate in, that most third world nations couldn’t give a toss about and was dear to the heart of dear old Trevor?

  5. Brett Dale 5
    17 March 2010 at 11:56 am

    Why pick on football, 300 thousand is such a small amount for the world’s biggest event.

    If you are going to question money going to any sport, why not question the $300 Million they freakin gave to one of the worlds SMALLEST sport’s, rugby union!, or money given to Netball (non existant outside our country) or money given to lawen bowls or boat racing.

    But foootball its a massive global event, and 300 thousand is below what I thought they would give.

    Oh by the way did the left ever question the money given to the arts?????????

    Did you ever bring up the old statement that you guys love to do…

    “What about health and education”

    Oh thats right, I forgot, its okay if aunty helen spends money on something else.

    • Bright Red 5.1
      17 March 2010 at 11:58 am

      The point is that the All Whites don’t need the money. They’re making a profit off the World Cup already.

      The RWC couldn’t happen in NZ without government investment, and it’s supposedly going to make a profit for the country.

      • felix 5.1.1
        17 March 2010 at 12:28 pm

        Nah, it’s supposed to make a profit for a small handful of specific companies. Just plain old corporate welfare.

        • spot 5.1.1.1
          17 March 2010 at 12:59 pm

          Forecast for an operating loss of $40m, split 66/33 between Govt and NZRU.

          Net benefit to country of capital investment in stadia, total incoming tourist dollar etc etc is probably worthy of a look, apparently some $500m.

          We pay hosting fee, get nil broadcast rev., take on the costs and wear quite some risk.

      • freedom 5.1.2
        17 March 2010 at 1:06 pm

        and Rugby runs at a loss? since when?

  6. Brett Dale 6
    17 March 2010 at 12:20 pm

    Actually Bright Red the aall whites do need the money, 30o thousand is nothing.

    But your okay with paying 300 million to get a sport event, that is a nothing global sport and will be watched by only a handful of countries.

    If you beleive all the BS you hear from rugby people, how popula the sport is, then you wouldnt need government money.

    Oh its expected to make a loss by the way.

    Heck doesnt matter who the govt is, giving only 300 thousand for your country to play in the worlds biggest event, and giving 300 million to host an event that 99 Percent of the world couldnt give a fuck about, is criminal.

    • felix 6.1
      17 March 2010 at 12:25 pm

      Agree with you about the rugby, Brett – what a frickin waste.

      Not sure about your 99% figure but still a big fat waste of cash.

  7. tc 7
    17 March 2010 at 12:22 pm

    It’s all about PR stunts and 300k for some more smile and waves with the boyz, here and in sth africa will help the msm gloss evermore over the fact that this govt’s doing bugger all.

  8. Brett Dale 8
    17 March 2010 at 12:55 pm

    Tc: PR stunt???

    Well its a PR stunt gone wrong?
    This is the football world cup!!!!
    There is nothing bigger on the planet!
    Yet the governement only gives 300 thousand???
    Its disgusting!!!
    Think of all the other small eevnt s that have gotton much more.

    If we pull off an upset in one of the group games, do you know how much attention
    New Zealand will get on a global scale?

    • Clarke 8.1
      17 March 2010 at 1:23 pm

      If we pull off an upset in one of the group games, do you know how much attention
      New Zealand will get on a global scale?

      Yup, about 15 seconds.

      • Brett Dale 8.1.1
        17 March 2010 at 2:11 pm

        Clarke:

        Actually it would be more than 15 seconds, the publicity for newzealand will be huge.

        Every Newspapers on the planet, every tv station around the globe will report it.

  9. Evidence-Based Practice 9
    17 March 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Mass redundancies expected in the Ministry of Health today. Most of them support the ‘front line’ staff to function properly. Expect more scandals from retirement homes and the like in the future as there will be no one left to monitor them.

  10. Name 10
    17 March 2010 at 1:20 pm

    “This is the football world cup!!!!
    There is nothing bigger on the planet!”

    No? What about global warming? What about global poverty and children starving in their millions? What about AIDS, Malaria, Dengue Fever and a dozen other preventable diseases that kill millions a year? What about loonies like Mugabe and Kim Jong-Il running whole countries like medieval fiefdoms, and the latter close to getting nuclear weapons along with the likes of Iran? What about women in benighted Islam countries being denied basic education and young girls having their clitorises excised?

    And you want to throw money at 22 men chasing an inflated leather bladder around an oversized lawn for ninety minutes?

    • Indiana 10.1
      17 March 2010 at 4:23 pm

      From poverty came players like Pele, Zico, Socrates, Ronaldhino, Ronaldo et al. Football gave these people hope. Go check out the FIFA website or individual players and see what money they throw back at the causes you have outlined.

    • Paul3 10.2
      18 March 2010 at 10:31 pm

      It’s not an inflated leather bladder – it is a bag of air. Lets face it $300k is bugger all. Yes it could be better spent but in the league table of wasted money it’s in danger of relegation from Division 3.

  11. Brett Dale 11
    17 March 2010 at 2:20 pm

    NAME:

    LOL!!!!!!!

    Its suppose to be health and education that you guys scream out.

    When governments spend millions of sporting events and codes that a tiny, I would expect them to spend at least the same on an event that would give our country a ton of publicity and means more to every country on earth than anything else.