ACT Finance spokesperson Todd Stephenson says “Fitch’s downgrade of New Zealand’s outlook to negative should be a wake-up call.

“It reflects what many Kiwis already know. Debt is too high, and discipline is slipping. Families across the country are tightening their belts to cope with the cost of living. They’re making tough choices every week.

“They expect the Government to be doing the same. But instead, we’re seeing taxpayer money spent in ways that simply don’t pass the sniff test. An OIA has revealed around $30,000 was handed out through the Ministry for Ethnic Communities to fund a nationwide Gaza advocacy campaign.

“This comes from a fund that dishes out more than $4 million a year, despite a select committee finding the Ministry can’t show clear evidence of meaningful results. Kiwis will rightly ask, how does funding overseas political activism help their community here at home?

“The Ministry was set up to support social cohesion and help us understand each other. Instead, they're funding divisive political activism.

"ACT would end the Ethnic Communities Development Fund tomorrow, saving New Zealanders $4 million a year. In fact, we would abolish the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and fold any functions that are actually delivering value into other ministries.”

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