July 21, 2021
America’s Cup bill shows moral compass lost
A Māori environmentalist says the $200 million loss racked up supporting the America’s Cup defence is a reminder of the need for Aotearoa to get its priorities right.
Mike Smith says subsidising a sport for the 1 percent at a time New Zealand and the world face major challenges because of climate change was wrong, and he’s pleased the Government seems to be drawing a line under the event.
"There's very limited return. They sold it to us that this would be a massive investment to promote Aotearoa, to stimulate our economy by having all these rich people flooding in on their floating gin palaces, but that has not been the case. That is not only an embarrassment – it tells us our priorities are screwed so we've got to realign our moral compass," he says.
Mr Smith says there are any number of better uses for $200 million, from preparing for climate change to addressing poverty.
Copyright © 2021, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com