mccully responds to petitioners

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Foreign Affairs minister in New Zealand, Murray McCully has responded to dozens of letters petitioning against announced changes to the country's aid agency, NZAID.

 

He referred to National Party policy as calling for a review of NZAID.

 

The policy promised they would 'review the operation of agencies that deliver aid to ensure that aid expenditure is effective and efficiently delivered'.

 

"That is the process that we are now engaged in," McCully told petitioners.

 

However, McCully did not refer to parts of the policy that call for consultation and partnership with stakeholders in aid processes and management.

 

Full text of the email below.

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: M McCully (MIN) <M.McCully@ministers.govt.nz>
Date: 2009/3/27
Subject: NZAID
To:

Thank you for your email expressing concern about the future of NZAID.

 

Prior to the 2008 election, National's policy statement drew attention to serious concerns about the management of NZAID, and promised that we would 'review the operation of agencies that deliver aid to ensure that aid expenditure is effective and efficiently delivered'. That is the process that we are now engaged in.

 

Reviews of the structure and mandate of NZAID are currently being undertaken by both the chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the State Services Commissioner, in response to those pre-election commitments.

 

That work should be completed prior to the 2009 Budget.

 

I appreciate the time you have taken in writing to me to express your views, and I can assure you that the points raised by you and the NGO community at large will be given careful consideration before any final decisions are made.

 

Yours sincerely,

Hon Murray McCully

Minister of Foreign Affairs

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