Using aid money for trade is revolting

The government's intention to take money from the world's poorest people to 'align with New Zealand's trade policy' is revolting, Wigram MP Jim Anderton says.

"The focus of New Zealand's aid should be reducing poverty in the Pacific. It took decades of political work in international organisations to make poverty alleviation the focus of aid efforts. New Zealand is regarded international as a best practice aid donor. Murray McCully is reverting to the most squalid use of aid, to promote our own trade interests.

"We give aid to be good global citizens and because some of the world's poorest live in dreadful conditions. We do not give it to promote New Zealand business.

"Focusing our trade policy on the world's poorest countries is a focus in exactly the wrong direction.

"This decision is about taking money from very poor people and giving it to the cocktail drinkers on the diplomatic circuit. MFat has been incompetent at administering aid in the past and will be in future. It will rotate staff with no aid expertise through the the aid desks, with all the ham-fisted incompetence that goes with it."

ENDS

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