May 23, 2017
Maori communities not feeling the love from Budget
Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis isn't counting on any advance for his constituents from Steven Joyce's first Budget on Thursday.
Announcements so far have included $27 million over the next three to four years for Maori housing programmes and marae restoration.
Mr Davis expects an election year lolly scramble, but once the wrappers are off there won't be much inside.
"We hear all these promises and we are told Maori get more and more each Budget but we're not just feeling the love and seeing it out there in our communities. That's where it really matters. I'm a bit scared we will have a continuation of Maori apparently getting more money but it goes into administration and things like that and the people who really need it aren't actually getting the money," he says.
Kelvin Davis says much of the spending will be in areas National has under-funded over the past eight years.
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