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Better Way for Boat-People

"There is a better way forward for politicians wrestling with a way to deal with the 434 homeless Afghan refugees that no country wants to admit," suggested Libertarianz leader Peter Cresswell today.

Libertarianz has always maintained that peaceful people should be able to cross borders freely - that immigration should be entirely open to peaceful people as long as they forswear any claim on the welfare state. Cresswell suggests that the libertarian philosophy offers a simple way out of the current situation.

"The problem that stops many New Zealanders and Australians agreeing to let these people in is their legitimate fear that they may become a drain on the welfare state," says Cresswell, noting that "many charitable New Zealanders and Australians are nonetheless still calling for them to be allowed in. The easiest way to remedy this situation," suggests Cresswell, "is for John Howard and Helen Clark to announce that between them they will accept all 434 just as long as 434 charitable Australians and New Zealanders can be found to take responsibility for them until they are on their feet."

"With the initiative the refugees have already shown in getting to Christmas Island," he says, "I would not expect that to take very long. And with the large number of Australasians calling for them to be admitted, finding 434 should not be a problem."

Cresswell says that his solution demonstrates the simple benevolence at the heart of the libertarian philosophy: " When charity is compulsory people tend to react badly at being forced to pay for ever more recipients of that charity. But when charity is made voluntary rather than compulsory, people are set free to be benevolent."

"I call on Helen Clark to set these boat people free through the generosity of benevolent New Zealanders, and I suggest she and other New Zealanders begin to take a good hard look at what the welfare state does to people."

It's enough to make you vote Libertarianz!

ENDS

For more information contact:

Peter Cresswell

LIBERTARIANZ LEADER

(025) 861 927, organon@ihug.co.nz

www.libertarianz.org.nz

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