In the spotlight today
Does New Zealand give enough foreign aid?
Poll Outcome
Yes – 35%
No – 65%
Last year, of the world's wealthy nations, only the United States, Italy and Japan gave a smaller percentage of their gross national income in overseas aid than New Zealand did. Even Australia, not always noted for its caring, sensitive side, will give a higher percentage this year than New Zealand. Given our social democratic internationalist ideals, why is it that our overseas development aid levels are so abysmally low?
Well, there are many people that consider it a waste of money for New Zealand to give aid to other governments who then embezzle much of the donation while neglecting the dire economic circumstances of those that the aid was intended to alleviate.
Many New Zealanders are of the opinion that we should give more, but on our terms, i.e. to projects we set up and run; projects that have hard nosed outcomes and require efforts from host governments to meet objectives of just government and fair distribution. It is also fair to say that an increasing number of people would rather New Zealand focused its resources on our own 'backyard' in the Pacific; be that aid, development assistance, or peacekeeping forces.
United Future Position:
To be the sixth worst aid donor within the OECD is embarrassing. It is important as a small country that wishes to promote the principles of international friendship and humanitarian responsibility that we are seen to uphold those values.
United Future considers that that New Zealand should work to reach the agreed UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNI for aid by 2015. To do this, United Future believes Parliament must be decisive and come to a multi-party agreement on the steps to take to achieve the goal of 0.7 per cent aid by 2015. United Future recognises that New Zealand has a responsibility to the nations and peoples of the Pacific through our close geographical and cultural ties. In light of this and while not neglecting our important historical relationships, United Future believes that it is in the Asia-Pacific region where New Zealand aid and development assistance can have the biggest and most relevant impact.