Key announces aid boost for Tonga... WTF?

[jrandom]

not bad for less than 3000 people

... whose job, apart from running up and down hills in the central North Island, consists of playing policeman with their plastic poodle-shooters in the same third-world countries we're all complaining about giving aid to.

Reduce the Army budget immediately, I say!

Or at least let's declare war on someone properly. Hardly fair that only the SAS boys get to go out and kill ragheads.

[Mr Merde]

20,000 Tongans in NZ

16 million dollars means we give them 800 each.

Lets say they send half home to theior family. The people that need it get a cash influx of 400 NZ

Those here already spend their $400 in NZ, on things like postage to Tonga. Our ecconomy gets a boost.

The only loosers are the politicos as they dont get to play the great philanthropist and strut their stuff

[Mr Merde]

... whose job, apart from running up and down hills in the central North Island, consists of playing policeman with their plastic poodle-shooters in the same third-world countries we're all complaining about giving aid to.

Reduce the Army budget immediately, I say!

Or at least let's declare war on someone properly. Hardly fair that only the SAS boys get to go out and kill ragheads.

As the grandson\son of a soldiering family and as an ex soldier myself, I must admit to being ashamed of the state of our armed forces.

Yes the best thing that could be done is just to disaband them and save us from further embarrasment.

[James Deuce]

Agreed, it is a lot of money in Tonga but it is also a lot of money that could be spent in our country looking after our citizens.

Its only $4 per person in NZ but that is a loaf of breaD IN THE SUPERMARKET.

There was a program on the idiot box the other day talking about school breakfasts. People cant or dont give their kids breakfast in the morrning before school. This particular charity had taken it upon them selves to provide such.

How far would the Westpac resue helicopter service go with 16 mill? They get sod all from the govt as it is.

How far would 16 million go in cleaning up some of our cities suburbs?

I can think of a lot of ways this money would be better of being spent here in NZ

So we give the money and next year they are waiting for it just the same but this time asking for more.

As much as you guys don't like it, we've always done it. We have an actual economic driver to stay on side with a whole bunch of Pacific "Nations" simply because NZ supports ethnic populations from the Pacific region that in most cases outnumbers the population those islands are capable of supporting. I'd also bet that the combined Pakeha/Maori numbers on benefits vastly outweighs Islanders on benefits. Even if I'm proved wrong on that point, the benefits of the '70s population influx from the Islands are being realised in all sorts of ways now.

Any local aid agency or charity that is given $16 million will simply buy some letterhead and another car with it. There are a number of charities in NZ that do nothing for people that need help and concentrate on support groups and coffee mornings instead.

[Finn]

Hardly fair that only the SAS boys get to go out and kill ragheads.

They've sent the SAS into Mt Albert?

[Mr Merde]

As much as you guys don't like it, we've always done it. We have an actual economic driver to stay on side with a whole bunch of Pacific "Nations" simply because NZ supports ethnic populations from the Pacific region that in most cases outnumbers the population those islands are capable of supporting. I'd also bet that the combined Pakeha/Maori numbers on benefits vastly outweighs Islanders on benefits. Even if I'm proved wrong on that point, the benefits of the '70s population influx from the Islands are being realised in all sorts of ways now.

Any local aid agency or charity that is given $16 million will simply buy some letterhead and another car with it. There are a number of charities in NZ that do nothing for people that need help and concentrate on support groups and coffee mornings instead.

Just beacuse we have always done something doesnt make it right.

If there were some mechanism for deciding where my tax dollars were spent. I would much prefer for them to be spent here looking after my fellow citizens than proping up some other inefectual group of beurocrats in another country.

[James Deuce]

Just beacuse we have always done something doesnt make it right.

If there were some mechanism for deciding where my tax dollars were spent. I would much prefer for them to be spent here looking after my fellow citizens than proping up some other inefectual group of beurocrats in another country.

It simply doesn't happen. The Government isn't here to help you and any organisation running under the auspices of the Government deserves our automatic disrespect.

I didn't say that it was because we'd always done it either. Fostering strong relations with Pacific Island nations is a vital part of our economic wellbeing. You can't grow an innovative economy with white people. They're too lazy.

[Mr Merde]

What hasnt been discussed properly is that this isnt an iscolated case.

500 million every year plus increases.

So for the life of a parliamentery term our government will have given away $1,500,000,000 of our taxes to what are basically inept and corrupt regimes.

Wha tdo we gewt in return.

A WARM FUZZY GLOW

Sod that I'd rather be fed, healed and educated.

[jrandom]

Wha tdo we gewt in return.

A WARM FUZZY GLOW

Lucky you. I'm still waiting for my warm fuzzy glow to be legalised.

[Swoop]

We should be asking questions of NZ's "military aid package" that is given to Tonga.
The previous king used to like the saluting gun...
It was strongly rumoured that every time he took a shit, there was a 21 gun salute fired in its honour.

I love the honourific.
"Malicious little Gnome".

Time to change your user title???

They've sent the SAS into Mt Albert?

That will keep them busy for a looooong time.

[Mr Merde]

Lucky you. I'm still waiting for my warm fuzzy glow to be legalised.

You mean its not

Oh shit I better hide whats left. And plough under the bottom 40 acres.

[Mr Merde]

They've sent the SAS into Mt Albert?

The're there to protect Mellissa Lee from all those naughty people fromthe south.

[Beemer]

Yep, and meanwhile the king of Tonga lives it up in the lap of luxury. I get fed up with all these countries expecting hand outs from NZ when most of their bloody citizens live here and are bludgers anyway.

We work for a living, don't have famine or as many natural disasters as them, and yet our country is in shit street and no one's standing in line to give us any financial assistance.

I say tell them to fuck off and look after themselves. It's like some of the African countries where the top brass are rich and corrupt and most of their citizens live in poverty. Make them start sharing their wealth around before asking us for a bloody hand out!

[Drogen Omen]

Yep, and meanwhile the king of Tonga lives it up in the lap of luxury. I get fed up with all these countries expecting hand outs from NZ when most of their bloody citizens live here and are bludgers anyway.

We work for a living, don't have famine or as many natural disasters as them, and yet our country is in shit street and no one's standing in line to give us any financial assistance.

I say tell them to fuck off and look after themselves. It's like some of the African countries where the top brass are rich and corrupt and most of their citizens live in poverty. Make them start sharing their wealth around before asking us for a bloody hand out!

Strongly agree here.

[Drogen Omen]

If there were some mechanism for deciding where my tax dollars were spent.

That's what i was thinking about the other day also...

If we could vote for where our tax money got spent I would be down with that...

Kinda like a list of things tax money would go to (please tick all that apply)
eg:
* road development/repair
* schools
* hospitals
* rescue services
* stuff that keeps us NZ'rs alive and kicking(riding)
* all of the above