Back in August, funding cuts led to Wellington Rape Crisis having to limit its services. Fortunately, the public stepped up and filled the funding gap, but it left a bitter taste. This is a vital public service. As such, it should be funded by taxes, not private charity.
Fast forward two months, and this time its Auckland rape and sexual abuse victims who are looking at having their service cut. why? Because the government reneged on a promise to fund them:
News of the shortfall came despite a commitment from the Government to work closely with HELP to establish a sustainable telephone service for the future in December 2011.
There is information on how to donate in the article, and here. I'm sure the public will step up again, but in this post I'm primarily concerned about the politics of the thing. And its unpleasant. There's an obvious pattern that emerges from these two incidents: the government doesn't care about rape victims. These services cost a pittance, and yet there is no money for them. Why? Because unlike tax cuts, inflated CEO salaries, there's no obvious benefit to rich white men like themselves. They've got a billion dollars a year in ETS subsidies to benefit their farmer-cronies, but nothing for rape victims.
Just another example of the public squalor National's meanness is driving us towards.
