9 Mar 2012

Another diplomat criticises Foreign Affairs restructure

6:39 pm on 9 March 2012

The Labour Party has released another cable from a senior diplomat criticising plans to restructure the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

In the leaked cable the ambassador to Japan, Ian Kennedy, said in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami last year, the embassy was able to rush staff from Wellington who had previously worked in Japan to help New Zealanders caught up in the disaster.

Labour Party leader David Shearer says the service New Zealanders receive when caught up in life threatening situations must not be put at risk by cost cutting.

And Mr Shearer says the fact cables criticising the proposed cuts continue to be leaked reveal how strongly diplomats feel about the matter.