Calling all generous people
Following the private donation of an entire children’s hospital to the Wellington region, the Government has revealed it is seeking expressions of interest from generously-spirited philanthropists willing to take on responsibility for other core social services.
The revelation comes on the heels of this week’s announcement that property magnate Mark Dunajtschik will build the $50 million hospital and donate it to Capital & Coast District Health Board, a move that earned him universal praise and saw him catapulted to the highest echelons of most New Zealanders’ list of top blokes of 2017.
Door-stopped by reporters seeking his reaction, Finance Minister Steven Joyce insisted the altruistic gift was evidence not of a crisis but an opportunity.
‘‘These people who say that you can’t get a more core social service than looking after the seriously ill and why hasn’t the Government been all over funding this sort of thing from the get-go – those people are looking through the wrong end of the colonoscope’’, Joyce said.
‘‘The real question is not ‘why hasn’t the Government done this already?’ The real question is ‘if there’s one person out there who’s this generous, there’s bound to be more – so what else can we tap them for?’ And as it happens, I have a list.’’
Joyce then handed round a spreadsheet identifying services that – according to what he described as ‘‘oldfashioned inside-the- box thinking’’ – have previously been the responsibility of the state, but could equally-well be funded by benevolent and deep-pocketed individuals.
‘‘Take mental health services. People are clamouring for better funding, but where do they think that money is coming from? Thin air? Come on. Far better that someone with the wherewithal takes this completely off the Government’s hands. And completely off its books too – it’s near-impossible to measure vague things like happiness on a balance sheet anyway.
‘‘Here’s another one: legal aid. Who wants to pay for that? There’s no votes in it because frankly most of those defendants are probably guilty anyway. But if some generous-hearted person with a deep and abiding belief in the rule of law stepped up with the dosh to ensure everyone had adequate legal representation, we wouldn’t say no. In fact, we’d be stoked.’’
Joyce was at pains to point out that would-be philanthropists need not rule themselves out of contention due to lack of funds.
‘‘Remember: ask not what the Government can do for you, ask what you can do for the Government that you thought the Government was going to do but as it turns out, not so much.’’
‘‘We don’t all have millions of dollars to donate, but there’s nothing to stop a bunch of civic-minded folk all chipping in. In fact, we’re already thinking of funding our health and safety initiatives that way – you know, trying to keep people safe on the job. We’ll call it the Worksafe Whipround.
‘‘Remember: ask not what the Government can do for you, ask what you can do for the Government that you thought the Government was going to do but as it turns out, not so much.’’
Joyce concluded the impromptu press conference by reiterating his electionyear promise of tax cuts for all.