What happened to the trickle down?
It was my understanding that the massive treaty settlements would benefit all Maori not just a few.
At present, there is a great furore over children, mainly of Maori or Pacific Island origin, going to school without breakfast.
There is no doubt that if they put their considerable skills and wits to it, the Maori leaders could devise a plan using some of their settlement monies to help members of their tribes with the problem (if a few non-Maori children were also helped - would this be so terrible?) These leaders have managed to outwit this Government on numerous occasions (mind you, they did have an un-armed opponent) so a breakfast plan, coupled with a scheme to teach budgeting shills to those who have the will to learn, would show their tribe members that they too are important in the leaders' eyes.
Over quite a few nights, we were harangued by an overpaid TV presenter trumpeting the horrors of mainly Maori and Pacific Island children going to school without breakfast. And that we should all be contributing to feeding them – surely a parental responsibility? Not once were these tirades balanced by interviewing parents, who were on the benefit and feeding their children properly. Neither did they interview those past masters of budgeting skills, the majority of superannuitants.
Maybe a country-wide budgeting scheme, whereby volunteers could help those in their neighbourhood, who are less proficient, would be more helpful than just throwing taxpayer's money at the problem. Once people have mastered some money skills, it will boost their feelings of self worth and confidence, and maybe they will begin to realise that the situation is getting a little better.
The only thing the bad money managers learn at present is that someone else will do their job for them. And that once they no longer have to provide breakfast, free lunches will follow in a little while.

B. McClure, Tauranga.