Labour’s aid policy wins approval

Press, 13 November 1981, Page 2

Labour’s aid policy wins approval

PA Wellington The Overseas Development Committee has given an “approve” grade to Labour’s aid and development policy and a “disapprove” grade to National’s and Social Credit’s policies. The committee, at its annual meeting on Wednesday evening reviewed the three parties’ manifestos and gave the gradings from one to five. Three was neutral and five was blanket approval. A committee spokesman, Dr Patricia Burns, said yesterday that Labour had consistently outscored the other two parties on the five issues: trade with developing countries; aid, including support for voluntary agencies; and policies for the South Pacific including immigration, disarmament, and relations with Africa. Labour’s over-all average was a four while National and Social Credit received a two. Social Credit scored higher on the South Pacific than the others of its policies and, in fact, all parties had achieved their highest scores on the South Pacific. National was given a better than average score on relations with Africa as a result of its firm opposition to apartheid. The committee had taken as much as it could into consideration on the scoring, but had to say that its scores were only approximations.

The committee comprises mainly the New Zealand aid agencies and devotes most of its attention to election years, when it tries to have aid and development issues brought to the fore. The Government-backed Advisory Committee on External Aid and Development has taken a swipe at the Government’s policy for being over-generous. The independent committee, which is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, compared the feather-bedd-ing for the Cook Islands with the lesser support given to famine and drought victims in Africa. “The committee felt that aid to this small but modestly comfortable recipient should be kept in balance with New Zealand’s other commitments and the needs of other recipients. Some committee members thought the same should apply to Niue as well,” the annual report said. The Cook Islands received $8 million a year in New Zealand aid and the report asked whether the Pacific governments were capable of accounting for and using wisely the large amounts of aid they receive from New Zealand and a growing number of other donors. Commenting on the external aid committee’s report, Dr Burns, said that feeling was widespread among the voluntary aid agencies.