Nepotism? What nepotism.

**rogson** · 6th December 2005, 18:03

You are all missing the most important point here.
The Wananga went from funding of around $4million in 99/2000 to $200million
last year. F...k not even Microsoft grew income that fast - and they had to sell stuff! Wetere asked for money and the government gave it to him -on what basis? The government took its eye of the ball (or he seduced them) - heads should roll!

**Hitcher** · 6th December 2005, 18:40

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Really? - I have more of a Hunter S meets Hugh Heff thing happening with Xena clones.

Oh that your fantasy should be as lucrative as mine...

**avgas** · 6th December 2005, 19:02

Uni of NZ.... what a joke - what uni course does it offer?

**Skyryder** · 6th December 2005, 19:11

Originally Posted by rogson

You are all missing the most important point here.
The Wananga went from funding of around $4million in 99/2000 to $200million
last year. F...k not even Microsoft grew income that fast - and they had to sell stuff! Wetere asked for money and the government gave it to him -on what basis? The government took its eye of the ball (or he seduced them) - heads should roll!

And if there was a trial all this would come out. So much for the so called Commission of Inquiry.

Skyryder

**kerryg** · 7th December 2005, 09:35

Originally Posted by Fish

.

Now, I could make a rash generalisation about the apparent Maori disposition to such behaviour, but that would be awfully uncharitable of me, so I won't.

Well, OK then, I will. It's hard to deny it, however uncomfortable such a generalisation might be for the more liberal-minded among us. I wonder why it is? Is it just naivity? Maybe you can explain away the John Davies debacle at Maori TV, or Tuku's $80 underpants, by dismissing it as naivity or inexperience or whatever, I can almost buy that explanation. But this Wananga debacle is of a different nature and magnitude. $70 million of uncontested contracts issued to Wetere's family. Forgive me but this seems like the cynical exploitation of the Government's carelessness with public money by a few clever Maori.

**SPORK** · 7th December 2005, 09:45

Originally Posted by kerryg

Forgive me but this seems like the cynical exploitation of the Government's carelessness with public money by a few clever Maori.

Now I know you're joking!

They don't exist!

**oldrider** · 7th December 2005, 10:30

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

A Commission of enquiry has found no evidence of nepotism in Rongo Weteres management of Wanaga O Aoterearoa.
This, despite 17 of his relatives being employess or contractors of the Wananga (I love this name) and one, his daughter, rising from a civil servant earning $30,000 per annum to the head of a company that's earned around $17,000,000 from contracts with the aforementioned Wananga.
This country is not called the "Land of the Long Whitewash" for nothing.

In a bus shelter at Frankton (Queenstown) there is a graffiti scrawled upon the wall which fascinates me. It says,

Aotearoa, Land of the wrong white crowd. Fuck off!

This statement has a way of endearing me toward Maori that I have never experienced before.

The Maori people that I grew up with never outwardly gave me the impression that they harboured such animosity toward us so why is it so evident in their children today?

I ask myself this question often and I don't particularly care for the answers I am getting back.

Perhaps Maori speak with "False Teeth"! :slap:

Give me back my old friends I miss them greatly.

Disappointed, John.

**Motu** · 7th December 2005, 11:38

Originally Posted by oldrider

The Maori people that I grew up with never outwardly gave me the impression that they harboured such animosity toward us so why is it so evident in their children today?
John.

This hurts me too John,I grew up with Maori friends and relations and only knew a happy people who couldn't do enough to help someone in need.The closest friends I still have today are Maori,our relationship has never changed,we are all still as close as family.I know some of the younger generation got into gangs - but I meet them now in their 20s and 30s and they see me as a sort of uncle they knew as kids,they don't hate me.I now live in a small town surrounded by Maori,the older people I see around my own age seem as friendly as I'd expect....but when the young people look at me I wonder what they are seeing...and it scares me a bit.

**Big Dave** · 7th December 2005, 11:39

Just some dickwit, John.
I think there was a total of 2 white guys in the entire Otara monday night basketball comp just finished. Me and a 6'1" ging-er.
I found it just like your old days.

**Big Dave** · 7th December 2005, 11:42

Originally Posted by Motu

..but when the young people look at me I wonder what they are seeing...and it scares me a bit.

American rap music syndrome?

**ManDownUnder** · 7th December 2005, 11:58

Commissions of Enquiry only make people look bad... and who would the bad looking people be in the case? Hey look - it's the Aunty Helen club, lead out by the fiscally prudent Helen and Michael with everyone else marching strictly to their fiscally prudent beat.

And what if the Commission of Enquiry found they had NOT been fiscally prudent? That'd be bad wouldn't it!

Gee I wonder if those two thoughts are in any way related?

Sure the Whananga's high and dry now (about as likely to get more money as Dover is full insurance) but their rapid growth to an incredible $200m/year capped off with no-one (read NO-ONE) accountable or accounting for those funds...

WTF?

Nah - call in the Commission of Enquiry, have the appropriate heads roll and if we end up with a government that has no balls... well... what will have really changed?
MDU

**sels1** · 7th December 2005, 12:26

Originally Posted by kerryg

Well, OK then, I will. It's hard to deny it, however uncomfortable such a generalisation might be for the more liberal-minded among us. I wonder why it is? Is it just naivity? Maybe you can explain away the John Davies debacle at Maori TV, or Tuku's $80 underpants, by dismissing it as naivity or inexperience or whatever, I can almost buy that explanation. But this Wananga debacle is of a different nature and magnitude. $70 million of uncontested contracts issued to Wetere's family. Forgive me but this seems like the cynical exploitation of the Government's carelessness with public money by a few clever Maori.

You missed Donna Awatere Huata......the only one to actually get nailed for it - she must have belonged to the wrong political party....