Paula Bennett MP
National Party Community Programmes Spokeswoman

12 February 2008

National flavour to ‘new’ NGO policy

Labour should be ashamed of itself for lifting, virtually word-for-word, yet another National Party policy, says National’s Community Programmes spokeswoman, Paula Bennett.

“It is pitiful that Labour has become so bereft of ideas that pinched policies, including the so-called ‘new funding model’ for NGOs which Helen Clark announced today, will be one of its most unenviable legacies.

“The Prime Minister, in her opening speech to Parliament, proclaimed that Labour suddenly intended to ‘develop a stronger relationship between government and NGOs’.

“She went on to say Labour’s ‘new funding model will see essential services with which we have multi-year programmes…funded for the full cost of delivering the agreed service’.

“Helen Clark also talked about reducing duplication and compliance costs for NGOs.

“Shame on you, Prime Minister. Those commitments form the basis of National’s Community Groups policy unveiled by John Key in May last year.

“It has taken National for the Government to realise the vital contribution NGOs make to our communities and society. This disingenuous new awakening by Labour is an insult to NGOs.

“The community sector has been drowning in a sea of paperwork under this Labour Government. Short-term contracts, duplication and a raft of compliance costs have all come about because this Government has failed to trust the sector to get on with the job.”

ENDS

Weblink to speech by John Key, May 2007
http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?articleId=10226

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