19 August 2016

Has the Govt lost its moral compass?

National’s decision to dismiss concerns about default KiwiSaver funds being invested in the manufacturing of cluster bombs, landmines, and nuclear weapons shows it’s lost its moral compass.

Both John Key and the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Paul Goldsmith yesterday rejected the idea that Government has a responsibility to ensure default KiwiSaver funds are invested ethically, saying instead it's up to individuals.

“It shouldn’t be left as a personal choice to invest in cluster munitions and land mines when those investments result in tens-of-thousands of children being killed and injured every year,” said Green Party finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter.

“The children killed and maimed by landmines and cluster bombs have little personal choice in the matter.

“New Zealanders expect their Government to have some basic morals. There should be some basic ethical oversight of the default KiwiSaver funds the Government directs New Zealanders’ savings into.

“The Green Party is calling on the Government to set higher ethical investment standards for its default KiwiSaver providers.

“Default KiwiSaver Funds need to be legally invested, at a minimum, and preferably ethically invested, so that New Zealanders have a guarantee that they’re not profiting from human misery.

“The Green Party in Government would establish a public, ethical default KiwiSaver fund,” said Ms Genter.

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