Media Statement
1 May 2009

Hon Peter Dunne
MP for Ohariu
Leader of UnitedFuture

Dunne: Government’s NZAID moves concerning

UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne today said he was disappointed that NZAID was being reabsorbed back into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and that he hoped that the country’s aid efforts did not become politically driven.

“While UnitedFuture supports the focus on the Pacific announced today, there are some very real concerns about what is happening here – not least being the lack of public debate and consultation in coming to these decisions,” Mr Dunne said.

“It’s an unwise and unhealthy way to come to policy positions on issues as significant of New Zealand’s aid contribution without any substantive consultation with the sector that does the work, and that simply hasn’t happened here,” he said.

Mr Dunne said he was also disappointed that the Government has not committed to New Zealand’s aid contribution being 0.7 percent of gross national income (GNI) by 2015.

“New Zealand and New Zealanders have a long standing sense of our global obligations and supporting those less fortunate. That is not as well reflected in today’s Government announcement as it should be,” he said.

ENDS

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