Ron Mark promises the RSA taxpayer funding

Stuff reports:

Newly minted Defence and Veterans’ Affairs Minister Ron Mark threw the script out the window when he essentially promised the RSA government funding.

The NZ First deputy leader spoke to the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association (RSA) at the opening of its 101st National Council, following a speech by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

At the end of his speech, Mark said he was confident the Government would be able to provide funding to the RSA.

Mark said he reminded the Prime Minister in 2007, following a discussion between Winston Peters and RSA executives at the time in a Koru Lounge, the NZ First-Labour Government of the time agreed to appropriate funds to the RSA.

“I understand now from my briefings, that appropriation was terminated. I did remind the Prime Minister of that, and I’m pretty confident that there will be discussions a little bit later on, which you might like the outcome of.”

Mark made the comments following a literal stage whisper to the PM, during the RSA president’s speech, where Mark reminded Ardern of the former Labour-led Government’s promises that were never seen through.

So this is how Government now works. NZ First Ministers promise funding to organisations off the cuff during speeches, forcing Labour to them do it.