We're writing tonight from the basement of the Treasury building where we've just finished reading through this year's budget papers.
This is a budget with many things to celebrate: the beginnings of Denticare and a National Disability Insurance Scheme, and the delivery of the Government's commitment to invest in Australia's Clean Energy Future.
However, there is also devastating news. The Government have walked away from their commitment to increasing Australia's foreign aid. This budget has cut $2.9 billion from Australia's aid to the world's poorest.
Two important figures put this cut into perspective:
290,000 -- the number of lives that money could have saved, according to World Vision estimates.
$3 -- for every dollar taken away from foreign aid, we're putting $3 into the pockets of mining companies through the fuel tax subsidy alone. That's $4,480 a minute over the next four years.
There's silver lining: the Government had planned to cut deeper still into foreign aid - so our pressure has been effective.
And there's hope: the promise to increase foreign aid was a tripartite promise: shared by Labor, the Greens and the Coalition. Right now, Tony Abbott and the Coalition are formulating their budget reply. Joe Hockey has just hinted that he may follow the Government's lead, but there's still time for the Coalition to stand up for foreign aid.
So can you contact your local Coalition MP or Senator now, to ask them to reaffirm their commitment to Australia's foreign aid in the budget reply?
These foreign aid cuts were not necessary. Not when we're pouring many billions more into the mining industry in subsidies. Not when British Prime Minister, David Cameron--facing a bleaker fiscal outlook than we--said recently "we cannot balance the budget on the backs of the world's poor."
Let's ask Tony Abbott's Coalition to hold firm on their commitment to foreign aid. It's a commitment to put aside just 0.5% of our national income to help the world's poorest people, including our closest neighbours in the region. It's a commitment to save hundreds of thousands of lives, educate millions of girls and boys, and spread democracy and safety in our region. It's a commitment worth keeping.
With hope,
the GetUp team.
PS - This time last year, faced with cuts to solar and clean energy programs, the Greens, the Independents and the community responded. The Government backed down. We can win this fight too. Take a moment to ask your Coalition MP or Senator not to follow the Government's lead.
---
1 Millions of lives have been saved globally over the last decade at an average cost of $2,000 per life saved, "Effective Aid: Helping Millions," World Vision, 2011. Assuming we spent 20% of our foreign aid budget on health, at $2,000 a life, these budget cuts could have saved approx. 291,900 lives.