A bucket-load of money for the arts will go down well among
the arts elite, but it is not going to help ordinary New
Zealand families, Roger Sowry said today.
"You have to
question this Government's priorities. It says it wants to
close gaps but its first big pre-Budget sweetener is a
hand-out to the arts.
"In the last week we have seen
worrying signs that the economy is heading for
trouble.
"New Zealanders are already paying the price in
higher taxes, interest rates, petrol prices, cigarette
prices and other costs.
"What does the Government do? It
hands out a load of money to Helen's pet art
projects.
"It's like a hospital deciding to spend most of
its money on cosmetic surgery when there's a waiting list a
mile long for basic operations like hip
replacements.
"Helen's fondness for the arts is great, but
when is she going to wake up and see that things are getting
tough for many New Zealanders, and they expect this
Government to be doing something practical," Mr Sowry
said.
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