Australian foreign aid is put to work every day assisting our neighbours, like East Timor, who are among the poorest in the world. It's a way we stand up as responsible and compassionate global citizens.
It educates. It cures. It brings democracy and safety. It improves and saves lives.
But now, the Government is considering breaking a bipartisan promise on foreign aid, according to media reports1. Last election both Labor and Liberal parties made a promise to increase foreign aid to 0.5% of our national income. It's still less than the UN recommends we give, but World Vision's economists estimate that the increase could save up to 800,000 lives2.
Balancing the books by turning our backs on our poorest neighbours? That's not the Australia we love.
The Government thinks it can break this promise because nobody will notice. Well, let's add our names to this urgent petition, then chip in for a huge newspaper advertising campaign, and let the whole country know what's happening:
http://www.getup.org.au/moral-deficit
In addition to saving lives, our aid program is estimated to provide education for almost 1,000,000 children each year2. It also improves agricultural yields, infrastructure and governance in the poorest countries in the world, some of them our closest neighbours, like East Timor.
Let's compare: the mining industry receives taxpayer subsidies of $4 billion every single year3. That's 5 times more than the aid cuts we're talking about!
Last week, when they heard that their subsidies were under threat, the Minerals Council launched a national advertising campaign to intimidate the Government.
The world’s poor can't go to Parliament House and lobby our politicians to live up to their commitments, but we can. Add your name to this urgent campaign before Monday, and please chip in to help put the ad in newspapers across the country next week:
http://www.getup.org.au/moral-deficit
Thanks for taking a stand,
Sam, for the GetUp! team.
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1 Assuming 20% of aid is allocated to health. Millions of lives have been saved globally over the last decade at an average cost of $2000 per life saved. "Effective Aid: Helping Millions," World Vision, 2011.
2 "$2.7bn foreign aid at risk as budget drive bites," David Crowe and Mark Dodd, The Australian , April 19, 2012
3 "Pouring Fuel on the Fire: The nature and extent of Federal Government subsidies to the mining industry," The Australia Institute, April 2012
Comments
Re: 800,000 lives to be cut from budget
Look after the Aboriginals first! we owe it to them before our neighbours.Foreign aid is a political bribe to keep countries on side.If our neighbours want more money they just invite the Chinese in, then Australia tries to out bid them,it happens all the time. Then when they want China out they say they recognise Taiwan as a independent Country and the Chinese leave.
Its the rich you need to worry about.
Whilst it is true that Australian foreign aid is often used for political or economic ends overseas rather than just humanitarian ones - it is also not true to say ALL foreign aid achieves nothing.
I also strongly believe we dont need to counterpose the money given to Indigenous Australians and foreign aid or any other worthy end. There is plenty of gold in the pot - just tax the rich more or tax mining or banking company profits there is plenty for both foreign aid and indigenous affairs!
The looming budget cuts are part of the Federal Government slashing public spending to appease the money markets who are using the global financial crisis as an excuse to slash all areas of public spending. Lets keep our eyes on the real enemies - the rich and powerful rather than argue about which group at the bottom of the heap is more or less deserving of the crumbs!
Will you stand up to support Australia's aid budget?
4 May 2011
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Dear Activist,
In a few days' time, the Government will present the federal budget, and it's looking more and more likely that they may walk away from their election commitment to lift the levels of Australian aid spending.
Join prominent Australians Geoffrey Rush, Hugh Jackman, Deborra-Lee Furness, The Wiggles, Jimmy Barnes, Missy Higgins, Jamie Durie, Clare Bowditch, Julie Goodwin and former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser in calling on the Government to keep its promise to the world's poorest.
Write to the Prime Minister today and show your support for Australia's contribution to tackling global poverty.
Australia made a commitment to the world to help international efforts to halve global poverty by 2015, with both major political parties promising to help lift more people out of poverty by increasing aid spending to 0.5% of national income by 2015. But according to the Treasurer, this year's Federal Budget is set to be 'the toughest yet'.
We need your help to remind the Government how important their promise to the world's poorest people really is. Australia needs to increase our aid spending so that we can fully contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to halve global poverty by 2015.
Show your support for Australia keeping its promise to the world's poorest people, and write to the Prime Minister urging her to stand by her commitment on Australia's aid budget.
Campaigning works. Thanks for taking action.
Oxfam Australia's Campaigns Team.
Musician Missy Higgins has joined the call for Australia to keep its promise on aid spending.
Photo: Matthew Vasilescu/OxfamAUS
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