Tuesday 13 October 2009

Your ‘right’ to free rugby [updated]

Okay, let's do a quick exercise.  Grab yourself a paper and pen, and write down all the useful things on which the Ministry of Maori Affairs, aka Te Puni Kokiri, spends around $200 million of your money.

Finished?  Now, let’s compare notes.  Does your list look anything like mine:

  1. vaev
  2. vesvb
  3. bsreb
  4. brb
  5. br

So given what it does waste your money on, isn’t it better that it spends $3 million of your money on something you’d actually like to watch, like the Rugby World Cup on Maori TV, instead of what it might otherwise waste your money on?

Frankly, I’d be more interested in people whinging about that money being spent to show the World Cup if I heard them complaining about all such taxpayer-funded wastage. Like Te Puni Kokiri itself.  Or taxpayer-funded broadcasting.

And I’d be more interested in their complaining about their “right” to watch the World Cup on free-air TV if they were more interested in the actual right here: of taxpayers to keep their own money.  Which is the point my colleague Mr Watkins makes at his SunLive blog today:

    “John Key said that Te Puni Kokiri are allowed to spend my money on a broadcasting rights bid. According to this, whether you and I like rugby or not, I and you have to pay for it anyway.
    “Worse than that though is what Key thinks constitutes a ‘right.’ Says that nice Mr Key, ‘It is our view that every Kiwi has a right to watch the main games of the Rugby World Cup for free.’ WTF?!? A ‘right’ to free rugby on T.V.!  What Key forgot to mention is that in waving his ‘rights-wand’ and bestowing rights on people to watch rugby for free, he has to breach other people’s real right to keep their own hard-earned money; but hey what’s the right to property in comparison to a game of kick & clap eh...do we get free beer too?”

Taking your money to pay for something you wouldn’t pay for voluntarily is wrong. And it’s pretty damn clear you wouldn’t spend your money on this so-called “right,” since the government has to take your money by force to make you pony up for it.

But how does it make any difference down which particular state-funded black hole it’s poured?  TVNZ and TV3 show programmes funded by your taxes. Maori TV is funded by your taxes.  Why complain about one but not the other?

12 comments:

twr said...

Hear hear. You hear people trying to justify their racism by saying that only 85% of people can get Maori TV, but in reality the money's coming out of the same pot and the real issue is what the hell they think they are doing dictating which sporting events are available on which media.

The Tomahawk Kid said...

What a BRILLIANT observation that is:
John Key MANUFACTURES or pulls a new RIGHT out of his backside, telling New Zealanders it is a RIGHT to expect such a service, whilst at the same time DESTROYING a REAL and BONA-FIDE RIGHT.

No wonder we are in the shit when those people running the country are so intellectually challenged.
Its either that, or that, or he is just pandering to the majority or those also dumb enough to vote for him/it.

Yea! - we want free beer too

Russell W said...

I agree, I'm colour blind too. The point I was making is what constitutes a 'right' - such as a 'right' to watch Shortland Street funded by me and you; just to rub it in a bit more is the fact that that program is wall to wall shit.
BTW PC, what was your take on the Rembrandt exhibition?

Greig McGill said...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a large part of the problem the fact that TVNZ and MTV are bidding AGAINST each other with our money? Is racism even a factor here?

Julian said...

John Key on Morning Report said that New Zealanders were 'entitled' to watch the Rugby World Cup.

There is that word again!

Julian

Anonymous said...

This should be great news for taxpayers, as if used properly by the Governmemt(?), this surely means TPK is overfunded by at least $3 million. The whole 200 million, actually, but I'll take any progress in the fight to keep my money.

Jeff

LGM said...

I'm with Tomahawk Kid on this.


LGM

Elijah Lineberry said...

It is a bit odd when Mr Key says there is a 'right' to free coverage of the Rugby World Cup.

As someone who has never actually watched an entire Rugby match I wonder if I am able to 'cash in' my right for something else?

...say, airfares/accomodation and tickets to Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" when its revival on Broadway opens in a couple of months?

Surely the 'rights' of ignorant working class chaps to watch free rugby matches is the same as the rights of urbane, erudite theatre lovers to watch something they would enjoy..oh...hang on...

SInner said...

What you're all forgetting about is that - sadly- NZ taxpayers have a moral right to watch the rugby?
Why - because the world cup was sponsored by the fucking labour party using MY FUCKING TAXES

Since we - the taxpayers of NZ - funded this boondoggle that would never ever had made commercial sense in NZ, it seems the least we can expect is that we get to see the fucking matches free.

Of course, I have a simple solution to this "problem" - the government unilaterally cancels all Rugby World Cup contracts and tells the IRB to fuck the fuck off

problem solved.

KG said...

The Nat's apologists and sycophants are in full flight over at No Minister:
http://nominister.blogspot.com/2009/10/gnats-555-labour-28.html#links

Crowing about the latest poll figures. Yet--curiously--they seem utterly incapable of listing National's achievements to date. Apparently anyone who complains about Key and the gang are "far right wing"
sigh.......

gregster said...

"clusterfuck" I like that.

Key is a cock.

Clunking Fist said...

Turns out Key and Obama ARE alike. Piss n wind.