what do you people think ur doing.yes, christmas is a time to celebrate.yes, it's great to have santa back.but 100 000 dollars?are u CRAZY?what sort of paint job requires that amount of $$?and the eyes and the droopy finger were scaring children?what kind of excuse is that.thousands of kids walk past every day, and thy're fine.i bet all the responders of the new zealand herald would'nt of agreed if they knew what was going to happen!

What a waste of our bloody money!

I think this is an utterly waste of money and time. What's wrong with just patching the guy up and give a bit of a paint, not $100,000. What a Pathetic idea and yet that money could go to the Needy children in this country. So wrong and if Santa can speak he himself would agree to give the money and spend in for the needy kids.There are children who needs operations and yet cant afford and here is a Santa who stand still gets rusty once a year lights up and move a finger and now need a face lift for $100,000, think about, it sure sounds SO PATHETIC.

I think this was a complete waste of money and all for a statue that only comes out once a year. How pathetic. Why not concentrate on spending the money where we actually need it. For example, donating food to the food banks around NZ, renovating the homeless shelters. Giving the poor something to celebrate about. No wonder why there is soo much poverty and violence happening in NZ - the government would rather spend money on a stupid santa claus than people who are less fortunate in this country. Just goes to show how much our government cares for us aye.

Was this money well spent? NO. It would have been far more admirable to use this money for something that matters. I think this question should have been asked BEFORE the money was spent.

I think the weirdo people who actually think that a saging santa statue is some sort of pedo idol need to get their heads checked. Is it really the "creepy eye" and the "enticing finger" or are these people hiding deep dark secrets? Get real, stop wasting money on crap.

Santa, an Auckland icon, a true piece of Kiwiana - who we are, synonymous with the Farmers Trading Company that stood on Hobson St for decades - and all you care about is his creepy eye and his “enticing” finger suggesting the mechanical structure (a pretty amazing engineering feat for its age!) is a paedophile? And the righteous hallow the needy children stating that they “need” $100,000 worth of presents? No wonder Christmas has become so toxic and insidiously commercial if you think it’s all about presents! Christmas is a religious celebration – the birth of Christ. However, we are so darn PC that we are no longer allowed to celebrate it! Children deserve the right to believe in Santa and the Tooth Fairy - to have dreams and fantasies – to be children! That’s what this figure and the Santa Parade is about – dreams! It’s not just about presents! Christmas is about a time of love and family and coming together. That’s what children need – LOVE - not presents!

It's a bit hard to enjoy the spirit of xmas when tax payers have just forked out 100k on something so creepy, I agree tax payers money needs to be spent making wiser decisions. the fact that it sits on a department store that sells goods to me say's how commercial xmas has become, because it's only there to beef up consumer spending for xmas. Merry Christmas everyone enjoy spending here in the CBD, 20k spent on a giant decorated xmas tree and 80k to needy children presents is what Christmas should be about!!

I think 100,000 is way to much to spend on a Santa upgrade i agee with Xmas Giver i could have been used to buy pressents for need needy children or feeding the homeless rather then something most people dont care about

i think its great to c santa back at auckland and not at manukua city as he was for a time there and he is worth the money a fantastic santa well knowen threw out new zealand at xmas time from all age groups . i remeber every year i could not wait till xmas just to c him at the auckland parade i was one of the many children who marched the parade and all ppl no matter ages race , wealth etc he made us all feel happy and chrismassy ty to all for bring him back to life were he belongs . well done and happy xmas to all and a great new year