Winston Peters, leader of NZ First, is challenging New Zealand’s ongoing funding of the World Health Organization (WHO).
“This is what happens when a bunch of unelected globalist bureaucrats are not accountable or responsible with worldwide taxpayers’ money,” Peters said on his personal X account following the United States’ withdrawal from the organisation.
“With the US withdrawing its membership, it puts into question the current state of the WHO, its effectiveness, and if our taxpayers’ money is being responsibly spent overseas instead of here at home.”
For Peters, the World Health Organization failed to perform as it should.
“They’ve forgotten what their original mandate was; they’ve forgotten the original parameters and boundaries they were given.
“We need to have a serious conversation in terms of accountability to the New Zealand people.”
Washington formally withdrew from the WHO last week, citing “numerous failures during the Covid-19 pandemic.” It said the organisation acts “repeatedly against the interests of the United States.”