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Bhatnagar slams gross double standards by CPAG

Hobson Community Board member Aaron Bhatnagar slammed the gross double standards of Child Poverty Action Group officer Janfrie Wakim after she accused the Hobson Board of ignoring the plight of poor and homeless people.

“In fact, the Hobson board does care about poverty in Hobson. That’s why we gave $500 to the City Mission before Christmas 2003 to help fund the Christmas Day lunch for homeless and poor. If we had to choose between funding a talk-shop or gabfest on poverty or actually buying food for homeless people, then the Hobson Community Board can hold our heads high. Ms Wakim stands accused of being ignorant and not having done her research. She should have found out the Hobson Board’s record on assisting the community before shooting her mouth off,” said Mr Bhatnagar.

“What actually helps homeless people – giving them food when they are hungry and lonely, or endless hand-wringing about poverty at a conference in wealthy Parnell?” said Mr. Bhatnagar.

“Ms Wakim can well afford to be generous with her organizations funds – another organization that she is linked to – the “Alexandra Park Racecourse Action Group” which is concerned about the building of a new school close to where Ms Wakim lives, was the beneficiary of $750 at the last Hobson Community Board meeting,” said Mr. Bhatnagar.

“This is an outrageous double standard on her part.”

“The UN has a budget of $4.4 billion NZD for 2004. The Hobson Board has a budget of $15,000 for discretionary grants and always gets requests for grants in excess of this. I cannot understand why the Hobson board was sought out for funding the UN Youth Association.”

“I know what goes on at UN Youth meetings – I attended a couple of them when I was 16 and 17. They are lots of fun, but I don’t think they achieve anything meaningful in terms of understanding problems. I can say with some authority that it is just a talk shop – that’s why I didn’t think the $500 for a UN youth talkshop was a good idea”, said Mr Bhatnagar.

“As for the comments of Dianne Robertson of the City Mission, I am sorry that she has forgotten about the generosity of the Hobson Community Board when we cancelled our own Christmas function in favour of giving the money to the City Mission’s Christmas Day lunch. I had hoped she would have had a better memory,” said Mr Bhatnagar.

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