Winston Peters’
should have withheld aid for Papua New Guinea in light of
the record of waste and corruption within that
country’s government, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’
Union.
Taxpayers’ Union
spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “It seems futile to throw millions at Papua New Guinea just
months after the nation’s government spent $7 million on a fleet of Maseratis
and Bentleys. We should withhold aid from governments with a
record of wasting money on political vanity and private
benefits.”
“Winston Peters should take a tougher
line on foreign governments taking New Zealand aid: if they
want help from New Zealand taxpayers, they need to
demonstrate more frugal spending habits. Denying aid to the
Papua New Guinean Government would have sent a powerful
message to any foreign governments that expect New Zealand
taxpayers to subsidise their corruption.”
“We’re not against giving aid to the people of Papua
New Guinea – such as through trusted third parties. But
giving it to a Government that cannot be trusted is flushing
New Zealand taxpayers’ money
away.”
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