Press Release Stephen Berry International Aid

No State Aid for Libya!

Tamaki Independent candidate Stephen Berry is absolutely opposed to an announcement by Prime Minister John Key stating he intends to give Government aid to Libya. “He’s got enough of his own money to give away. Why should he give ours away instead?”

“This Government is borrowing over $300 million a week to maintain current spending and sustain the unsustainable. Borrowing money to give away to foreign Governments is fiscally irresponsible. Eliminating foreign aid is a golden opportunity for National to shrink the deficit.”

Mr. Berry believes there is absolutely no interest for New Zealand in Libya, strategic or otherwise. “Giving away money that the Government does not have is actually counter to our interests. It simply makes the Government’s over-optimistic expectations for shrinking the budget deficit even more unrealistic.”

Stephen Berry believes that any international aid should only be given voluntarily by willing private individuals and businesses, not by Governments using funds forcibly taken from the citizenry. However he also believes that any aid at all to Libya at this time is extremely unwise.

“We do not even know who the rebels are. We do not know whether they value individual rights or are Islamic fundamentalists. We do not know whether this is simply a power struggle or a real movement for freedom. How do we know one anti-Western dictator is not about to be replaced by another?”

“American foreign policy has well demonstrated the folly that comes with using taxpayer dollars choosing regimes to support in other countries. John Key would be wise to avoid trying to play international statesman at our expense.”

Stephen Berry advocates a foreign policy of free trade and friendship. It does not include the deployment of New Zealand troops in unrelated overseas conflicts or the gifting of taxpayer dollars to other Governments.

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