As most of you are aware, the Americas Cup campaign has been gifted $36million by the NZ Government to help secure the Cup back to New Zealand. As a sporting nut I endorse their endeavour and the funds, yes when the cup is here, money is returned (through GST/PAYE, etc).
But I'm putting my Mental Health hat on now. Just recently, the MoH has stopped funding to 6 Like Minds Like Mine providers nationwide and several others had had funding cuts. At the National LMLM Hui early in April the Associate Minister of Health, John Coleman, basically outlined that the cuts were necessary to help fund mental health services in post quake Christchurch. Now that I could agree with, so it's rather puzzling that a very necessary service is decimated to allow mega rich yachties to sail the world on exorbitant salaries.
Now I have been sold the National spin on the state of the economy (Coleman also stated the country was borrowing $300 million a week to stem the recession) so how in these tough times can Team New Zealand get a stipend from the government that is supposedly trying to cut costs? And if the cuts aren't really needed why the hell a successful programme both nationally and regionally is cut beggars belief.
Yes I want the Americas Cup here, but not with government funding. Yes I do want my job and team back. National, you need to balance your decisions.
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