Larry Williams Drive

How disappointing is the revelation that Whānau Ora money has been used to fund the Moana Pasifika rugby team?  How disappointing is that? And this is not a criticism of the team. I mean, the team has been one of the rockstar stories of the Super Rugby season. This is about the funding. This is the kind of revelation, I reckon, that does huge damage to public confidence and Government use of taxpayer money. Because this is money that, to our minds, is supposed to be going to some of the most vulnerable people, to helping Māori and Pasifika families with things like health, medical appointments, baby jabs, education, housing, that kind of thing. But instead, we find out it's been going to fund a rugby team for elite athletes - and this has been going on for at least 2 years. One of the outfits that's contracted to spend final order funds, Pacifica Medical Association Group - we're going to call them PMA - has been giving $770,000 a year to Moana Pasifika. Now, if they do it again this year