Australia's aid commitments under question from Coalition cuts

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Coalition’s proposed cuts to the foreign aid budget calls into serious question its commitment to assist the world’s poorest people, warned International development agency World Vision Australia. 

The fine print in the Coalition’s budget savings statement released on Wednesday slices almost $300 million from the AusAID forward estimates, connected to projects to help poor nations take urgent action to adapt to climate change. 

Many of these projects would be described as ‘direct action’ – the type of climate action favoured by the Opposition Leader. The cuts would mean Australia may fail to meet its promise to help fund efforts to make communities more resilient to new health risks, and shortages of food and water. 

Is the Coalition planning to meet Australia’s climate promises by diverting money from other aid programs aimed at helping meet the Millennium Development Goals to halve the measures of poverty by 2015?

“Along with all other developed nations, Australia has committed to help cut global poverty in half by 2015. We are not meeting our fair share of that burden yet, and cutting foreign aid makes meeting that promise even harder,” World Vision CEO Tim Costello said. 

“Before the Federal Budget, World Vision warned that a lack of transparency on aid finances would threaten commitments Australia has made to combat poverty and assist developing nations respond to climate change. 

“Australia’s neighbours are likely to look on this signal from the Coalition with alarm. This does nothing to help build confidence that Australia is committed to aiding nearby nations.” 

Both the ALP and the Coalition have promised to increase foreign aid to 0.5 per cent of GNI by 2015. This remains below many of our OECD peers and below the internationally agreed benchmark of 0.7 per cent GNI to help meet the MDGs. Australia is better placed to meet its financial commitments than virtually any other OECD country. 

ends 

World Vision CEO Tim Costello is available for comment.

Enquiries: Bill Pheasant 0413 701 028

Media Releases, Poverty, Asia and the Pacific, AUSAID, Australian Government, Budget Cuts, Foreign Aid, Millennium Development Goals, Tim Costello

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