van Velden BrookeBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT): Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise on behalf of the ACT Party to speak to the inquiry into New Zealand's aid to the Pacific which is reported back by the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee. The report from the committee highlights a few areas where we must do better in aid to the Pacific for the resilience of our neighbours in the Pacific and for those of us here in New Zealand. We must ask the question: what is the purpose of our aid programme? ACT believes it is to build alliances to strengthen our position in the world and to protect the freedoms we enjoy. It is also to improve the lives of those less fortunate than us.The ACT Party stands for the inherent dignity of every individual but we also believe that we should not judge policies and programmes by their intentions to do good; we should judge them on their results. We're lucky to live in the Pacific with our beautiful white sand beaches a moderate climate compared to many of our other trading partners and the peace and security that comes from being a collection of islands at the bottom of the world. We don't face the same threats that many nations face to their borders or their sovereignty and for that we are lucky.We felt the effects of this isolation during COVID and the relative ease with which we were able to close our borders. Our Pacific neighbours have felt this too. But it hasn't come without economic pain. COVID has severely affected the Pacific region. Even countries that have not recorded any cases have been forced to close their borders. Like us many of our neighbours have a dependence on global supply chains and tourism for their businesses and for their workers' and families' ability to put food on the table. They're hurting.Most New Zealanders support our aid to the Pacific programme during the good times and acknowledge the need for more support even now but this report points out a sad reality for the Pacific. I quote: Remittances are also expected to sharply reduce as the global economy contracts and unemployment increases." Workers who usually would travel from the Pacific Islands to New Zealand to pick apples grapes berries and kiwifruit and send home money to their families and villages have had their incomes stopped by the Government's restrictions to immigration even from countries without COVID. We must acknowledge the benefit that has been lost to our Pacific Island communities from these restrictions.The majority of New Zealand's overseas development assistance goes into the Pacific and we are the second-largest donor to the Pacific after Australia. When the Government sets aside money for a new programme within New Zealand we expect to know where that money is going how progress is tracking and when we can expect results. We expect transparency and accountability. We'd assume this is happening in our overseas development assistance too. Unfortunately this inquiry heard that submitters consistently expressed frustration with a lack of publicly available information about New Zealand's overseas development assistance investments.Our overseas development assistance received a score of 31 out of 100 and ranked 42nd out of 45 donor countries in the 2018 Aid Transparency Index. This is clearly not up to the standards expected by New Zealanders. It is critical that every dollar spent is used effectively and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is more transparent about where the money is going and what benefit it is providing to the Islands. The ACT Party is heartened to hear that our ranking has improved last year with the ministry now publishing its strategies online but the work must be ongoing. The ACT Party will be asking these questions of the Government this term: where is the money going? What is the cost? What is the benefit? And are we getting the best value for New Zealand money to help build the best possible resilience in the Pacific? We must continue to strive to do better for us here at home and for our neighbours in the Pacific. Thank you Madam Speaker."