[kall]

In a report released today, it was confirmed that millions of dollars have been poured into Race-based, rather than Need-based reasons.

Examples:

Health - Maori mental health workers were the only ones allowed to treat Maori mental health issues.

Education - Mapihi Pounamu Mapihi Pounamu is a financial assistance scheme that has been targeted to assist Māori students who are required to board away from home because they face barriers to learning.

What has changed? The eligibility criteria for Mapihi Pounamu has been widened and both Māori and non- Māori will now benefit. This change applies from January 2006.

When asked in Parliament recently how much money had been spent on Treaty related education courses Trevor Mallard said he had not bothered to look.

The review found that scholarships had not, in general, been effective in terms of recruiting scholarship recipients into the Public Service.

There are about 50 scholarships offered each year only to Maori and Pacific students, with most ranging in value from $2,000 to $5,000.

[Sparklechick]

I could never understand why my Maori friends were able to apply for more scholarships than me. Their family had more money than mine. We were both born in New Zealand and yet she had more stuff available to her. Just didn't seem fair to me.

[busyness53]

Yeah i agree SPARKLE, by the way how is the winter chills treating you,
fine i hope. Getting back to scholarships, we here in Tuwharetoa have
outfits like The Tuwharetoa Trust Board, Lake Taupo Trust, Opepe Farm Trust
these are but a few, anyway as owners or family of the owners in say for
instance the Lake Taupo Trust which gets its revenue of the forestry planted
in that district we can apply for grants for education so maybe your friends belong to some of these trust.

[Sparklechick]

No ... my friends were able to apply for the scholarships purely because they had Maori blood in them. I have absolutely NO maori blood in me whatsoever so couldn't apply for them. I find that completely unfair.

[trogg]

In the words of George Orwell "Everybody is equal, some are more equal than others"

[Cinque]

Unfortunately, because we are not an oppressed minority we can never understand and are forced to continue to pay for the sins of our fathers.

Equality however, should be just that - one deal for everyone. If you don't like it, or it offends you in some way then simply get on the bus.

It's the same everywhere, the trendy label is "Positive Discrimination" where your are valued not on your abilities but by how oppressed you are perceived by cardigan wearing, tree hugging, bleeding heart namby pambies. Colloquially the term "Positive Discrimination" is known as "Bullshit".