Cabinet minister must control expanded aid budget

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Australia must maximise the effectiveness of its growing aid and development budget by elevating it to a Cabinet-level portfolio alongside foreign affairs and trade, World Vision said today. 

“Both major parties contesting the Federal Election should commit to appointing a Minister for International Development to ensure the nation’s aid budget is delivering maximum benefit to those in need, ” World Vision Australia CEO Tim Costello said. 

“To work with the minister World Vision suggests AusAID, the nation’s agency for international development, should also be turned into a government department. 

“Australia lags behind other countries that have already elevated development efforts to the same level as diplomacy and defence. 

“The UK, for example, has an independent Department for International Development led by a Cabinet minister. This has increased aid effectiveness because aid spending is recognised as only one part of successful development and is integrated into related portfolios like trade, foreign affairs, migration, national security and conflict resolution.” 

On Budget night this year, the government announced it would review how technical advisers were used in AusAID funded programs, and assess their ‘value for money’. 

“Big salaries for expatriates who work in fragile states must be justified with results, new ways to deliver aid explored, and the cost-effectiveness of aid contracts evaluated. We think a minister and supporting department would make sure our aid dollars are helping poor communities in the best way possible,” Rev Costello said. 

“It’s promising to see that AusAID is already reviewing the amount of aid spent on technical advisers and is seeking to find better ways to understand and deliver assistance to poor communities. 

“However, a more direct line of accountability through parliament will build public confidence and trust that our aid money is being well spent and is benefiting poor communities.” 

Rev Costello said getting aid right was important because more effective aid programs save more lives. 

“Effective aid does work. For example, in 2005 World Vision began work in a remote region in Indonesia where four in 10 children under five suffered from possibly life-threatening diarrhoea. By building tanks, reservoirs and toilets, and educating the community about safe water supplies, the number of children at risk was reduced to one in 10,” he said. 

“World Vision supports moves towards a greater transparency of aid. We are constantly reviewing our programs and we endeavour to be fully transparent about programs that have failed alongside those that work. 

“We’d like to see the same level of transparency from the government and urge both major parties to support the establishment of a Department for International Development Assistance, one that champions effective evidence-based aid, and one which is represented by a senior minister.” 

Ends 

Tim Costello is available for media interviews. Please contact Sacha Myers, media officer, on 0457 926 018.

Media Releases, Poverty, Asia and the Pacific, AUSAID, Australian Government, Foreign Aid, Tim Costello

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