New Zealand can't keep exporting taxpayers' money

“New Zealand is in the sh*t, can we seriously afford to be sending millions of dollars overseas for tripe like ‘climate-smart’ passionfruit?” asks ACT list candidate Paul Henry.

“ACT will cut wasteful and low-priority MFAT spending, focus New Zealand’s aid on our national interests, and make every programme prove its value to taxpayers.

“New Zealand has good reason to spend overseas – a stable, prosperous Pacific, strong trade ties and the ability to help when disaster strikes. But foreign aid is taxpayers’ money, and should face the same scrutiny as spending here at home.

“Here’s an uncomfortable truth, our economy is too small. Our bureaucracy is too big. We cannot spend our way to prosperity. We need to be disciplined if we’re to get the books back in order.

“ACT will reduce foreign aid to 2017 levels, excluding support for Ukraine. This will save around $283 million a year.

“Since 2024, MFAT spent $15 million on developing countries to prepare for the Paris Agreement – an agreement that is broken and cannot accommodate targets that reflect the real warming impact of New Zealand’s emissions.

“Nearly $21 million was spent on sustainable agriculture investment in Africa; $6.3 million to develop different crops in Timor-Lester; $6.2 million on supporting gender diversity for Climate-Smart Passionfruit chain in Viet Nam; $5.1 million to Timor-Leste to publish three educational magazines – I could go on, but just like we don’t have the money for this nonsense, I don’t have the heartbeats for it either.

“That’s already around $50 million for other countries and their pet projects. This is absolutely barking mad.

“ACT will be campaigning to give MFAT a reality check on behalf of taxpayers. We cannot afford this kind of spending when our own country is paying an eye-watering debt – a debt that already costs us almost $25 million a day just in interest payments.

“If nothing changes, the best-case scenario is our grandchildren will still be paying the interest on our debt. Worst-case the Greens get in and then it will be our great, great, great grandchildren’s problem as well.

“I didn’t stand for ACT for something to do. I stood because I believe in New Zealand’s extraordinary potential – and I won’t stand by while taxpayers’ money goes to solving other countries’ problems before our own.

“ACT wants to invigorate New Zealand with the aspiration and ambition the country was once world famous for. Party Vote ACT to cut the waste and grow the country.”

Note to Editors:

Here are some examples of wasteful spending in other countries, from the last two financial years:

• $15 million for developing countries to prepare for Paris Agreement. Activities | DevData

• $20.8 million to Africa for sustainable agriculture investment. (Dev)

• $6.3 million to Timor-Leste to develop different crops. (Dev)

• $5.1 million to Timor-Leste to publish three educational magazines. (Dev).

• $2.9 million to partner with the African Union to establish a Geothermal Facility. (Dev)

• $2.1 million for an Eastern Indonesia Young Leaders Programme (Dev).

• $1.35 million to the Cambodia and Lao PDR Young Leaders Programme https://devdata.mfat.govt.nz/activities/NZ-1-ACT-0101317

• $2.6 million to Indonesia for supporting renewable energy development (Dev).

• $2.1 million for Climate-Smart Passionfruit chain in Viet Nam, supporting gender diversity Activities | DevData($6.2 million announced in total)

• Teamed up with the UN across 2024/25 and 2025/26 to send $15.7m to the UN Women and United Nations Environment Programme for gender-responsive climate change mitigation Activities | DevData

• $2.38 million to Philippines for leadership training amongst indigenous women Activities | DevData