Overseas aid policy missing from election debate

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

As the Federal Election campaign reaches the half way point today, World Vision Australia said it was disappointed that neither major party had released its official policy on foreign aid.

“After 18 days on the election trail Australians are still in the dark about how our future leaders plan to help the world’s poor,” World Vision CEO Tim Costello said.

“Australians have repeatedly demonstrated they are compassionate, generous and care deeply about the issues beyond our borders. It’s time our political leaders released their official policies on foreign aid.”

Rev Costello said while both major parties had committed to increase the aid budget to 0.5 percent of the Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015, more needed to be done.

“A good foreign aid policy would need to include two things: commit to increasing aid funding to the internationally agreed target of 0.7 percent of Gross National Income (GNI), and further improve the focus and quality of Australia’s aid to do our share to meet the Millennium Development Goals,” he said.

“Some politicians have said they will increase the foreign aid budget if economic conditions permit, but this is not sufficient.

“Australia is in a strong financial position to reach the 0.7 target, which is only 70c in each $100 of GNI. Many other countries, like the UK, have much higher debts than Australia but have already committed to this target.

“If we move from 50c to 70c out of every $100, Australia could save a child’s life every minute or 500,000 lives per year. World Vision urges both major parties to present a timetable for how they plan to increase the nation’s aid budget before Australians head to the polls on 21 August.

“The time has also come to ensure AusAID has representation in Cabinet and its own department to ensure greater transparency and effectiveness in Australia's aid budget.”

Rev Costello said the health of mothers and newborn children was an area in need of renewed focus for Australia’s aid program.

Approximately 8.8 million children die every year before they reach their 5th birthday, mainly from preventable diseases.

“The health of mothers and newborn children continues to be one of the urgent challenges of development and is not prioritised in current aid funding,” Rev Costello said.

“Australia can have a real and dramatic impact on the wellbeing of mothers and newborn children in poor countries if we target our programming in the right areas.”

On Tuesday 10 August Make Poverty History and Micah Challenge will support World Vision’s call on overseas aid and will launch a social media campaign to ask politicians to remember the poor during the election.

World Vision’s key foreign aid policy asks:

1. Do our share for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ‐ accelerate growth in the aid  program and commit to 0.7% of Gross National Income to aid. 
2. Further improve the focus and quality of Australia’s aid and do our share to meet the MDGs. 
3. Prioritise funding for maternal and newborn child health within an increase of funding for health to 20 percent of the Australian aid program.

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, Election, Foreign Aid, Millennium Development Goals, Tim Costello

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