Hi Paul,

Not foreign aid related, but here's a further example if the LNP's miserable parsimony.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/hit-and-run-on-crime-prevention-likely-20131012-2vf25.html

"...Father Riley hit out at the Coalition's decision, pointing out that national crime prevention grants were funded through the proceeds of crime rather than general revenue and were not election promises.

''I don't understand this, the proceeds of crime is not taxpayer money,'' Father Riley said.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan said: ''The government is currently working through the arrangements required to implement our election commitments.

"In the meantime, we are in the process of advising organisations who were promised funding under the national crime prevention fund not to make any financial commitments on the basis of commitments made by the former government.''

So much for Abbott being the charity guy...

No photo ops in marginal seats - no charity.

Paul,

I did not ask if you partner knew alot about the Moriori, I sure she does not, probably because thanks to her Maori people they were all exterminated. Indeed a few years after her Maori people invaded the Islands where the Moriori lived harmoniously there was less than 5% of the populations still alive. That's right less than 5% left alive. By the early 1930s the last full blood Moriori died. Your partners Maori people banned the Moriori at the time from marrying each other or from having children.
And I hear you say you partner was punished for speaking her language. Sounds the same as what her people did to the Moriori, yes they also banned them altogether from speaking Moriori.
You say her family was cheated out of there farm and the farm burnt down. One of the survivors of the Maori invasion described how men, women and children ran away and tried to hide down holes, but were discovered and KILLED ( not just their land taken away and homes burnt down, but KILLED) and in many cases eaten, yes eaten by your partners people. Paul, which fate would you choose.
And what was the excuse of the Maori, they claim it was their custom to invade, take the land of others and KILL them. Yes that right, read that last line again, that's how your partners people tried to justify invading an island and killing just about everyone, it was their custom.
Like I said Paul I did not ask if you partner new alot about the Moriori, I asked if she and her people had apologised for their brutal racist behaviour which resulted in the extermination of a group of peace loving people.

Paul, here is a documented account taken from one of the rare survivors of your partners people's invasion, from one of award winning author Jared Diamonds books

[The Maori] commenced to kill us like sheep.... [We] were terrified, fled to the bush, concealed ourselves in holes underground, and in any place to escape our enemies. It was of no avail; we were discovered and killed - men, women and children indiscriminately." A Maori conqueror explained, "We took possession... in accordance with our customs and we caught all the people. Not one escaped....." The invaders ritually killed some 10% of the population, a ritual that included staking out women and children on the beach and leaving them to die in great pain over several days. The Maori invaders forbade the speaking of the Moriori language. They forced Moriori to desecrate their sacred sites by urinating and defecating on them. Moiriori wished they had been colonized by the English and had the protection of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Really incredible to see how brutal and racist the Maori were. Paul, does your partner and her people intend to give back the land they stole?

Ozzie, you seem to put a lot of stock in the writings of one, the American Jared Diamond. In fact you take what Mr Diamond has written as Gospel, and it may well be so. Then again it may be unsubstantiated fiction. Do you have any corroborating evidence?
Why the anger? Based on the assertion of an American writer, I'm sure Mr Diamond's books make the most interesting of reading. However, as for the facts as presented by him, they may or may not be true. I don't know, nor do you!
"Really incredible to see how brutal and racist the Maori were." They most likely were, as I said a very war like people.
Paul, does your partner and her people intend to give back the land they stole? ASK THEM!
"Moiriori wished they had been colonized by the English and had the protection of the Treaty of Waitangi." Is that your own observation, or is it fact?

Thanks for that Poirot, part of the conservatives mantra "Lock em' up and throw away the key." Tough on crime, but at what cost to our young people. Sure makes me sick, plenty of money for other things but nothing for what really matters.