Australian Political Parties must commit to increasing Overseas Aid by Australian Council for International Development 12:38pm 4th Oct, 2004   1 October 2004    A Fairer World is a Safer World    We, the undersigned aid and development organisations, believe it is time for the major political parties to provide a clear timetable for significantly increasing the overseas aid budget.    We challenge the political parties to immediately commit to restoring aid to at least 0.5% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2008, as a first step towards the internationally-agreed level of 0.7% GNI.    Australian aid has declined under both Coalition and Labor governments for almost thirty years. It is time to reverse this trend. The Coalition has repeatedly stated that it will increase aid when economic circumstances permit. But despite a healthy economy and record budget surpluses, the Coalition in government has allowed aid to decrease to a historically low level of 0.26% of GNI – only half the 0.5% level reached by Australia in 1974-75 and down from 0.32% when the Coalition government gained office in 1996.    The Labor Party has promised to increase aid but only as far as 0.32% GNI, well short of the internationally agreed 0.7% target, and has offered no timetable for any increase.    We are calling for a gradual restoration of aid spending to a mere 2% of the federal budget. Australia could double overseas aid tomorrow with less than half this year’s budget surplus.    In recent days voters have seen a barrage of promises from both major parties to increase funding for national security. But regional stability and global security will never be achieved unless we do our fair share to reduce inequality and enable all to meet their basic needs. Australia cannot remain an affluent island fortress in a sea of poverty and instability.    In today’s world more than one billion people live in extreme poverty. Some thirty thousand children die every day from preventable illnesses.    In 2000, Australia made a commitment to the Millennium Development Goals – a pledge between rich and poor countries around the world to halve global poverty by 2015.    Australian aid organisations recently launched two campaigns, the Fair Share Campaign and Micah Challenge Australia, to urge Australia’s political leaders to do our fair share towards achieving these goals. Doing our fair share requires Australia to contribute significantly more well-targeted, poverty focused aid – something most other rich countries are doing already.    We urge Australian voters, including the one in five families who voluntarily donate their own money or time to aid organisations, to consider the overseas aid commitments of the political parties when going to the polls on 9 October. Australians have increased their donations to aid organisations by an average 15% per year over the last five years. By ignoring the level of overseas aid, our political leaders are out of step with the people they serve.    It is time for our political parties to give the Australian people a clear timetable for increasing our aid commitment. As successive opinion polls have shown, more than 80% of Australians believe it is the right thing to do – to reduce poverty and insecurity, and to create a fairer and safer world.    This statement is signed by the following organisations:    Gaye Hart, President, Australian Council for International Development    Steve Bradbury, National Director, TEAR Australia    Tim Costello, Chief Executive, World Vision Australia    Jack de Groot, National Director, Caritas Australia    Margaret Douglas, CEO, Save the Children Australia    Beverley Dyer, Acting Executive Director, International Women’s Development Association    Bill Fischer, Director, Uniting Church Overseas Aid    Les Fussell, National Director, Baptist World Aid Australia    Don Henry, Executive Director, Australian Conservation Foundation    Betty Hounslow, Acting CEO, The Fred Hollows Foundation    John Jeffries, National Director, Christian Blind Mission International (Australia)    Peter Jennings, Executive Officer, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA    Colin Lennox, Director, Oz Green    Ken Martin, National Director, Interserve Australia    Donna McSkimming, Acting Executive Director, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad    George Morrow, CEO, Australian Business Volunteers    Robert Newton, General Manager, Australian Cranio-Maxillo Facial Foundation    Maree Nutt, President, RESULTS Australia    Tim O’Connor, AidWATCH    Roger O’Halloran, CEO, PALMS Australia    Paul Peters, CEO, Opportunity International Australia    Margaret Reynolds, National President, United Nations Association of Australia    Christina Richards, CEO, Australian Reproductive Health Alliance    Wendy Rose, Chair, ChildWise    Veronica Ross, CEO, CCF Australia    Heather Saville, Convenor, Quaker Service Australia    David Skeat, CEO, Australian Relief and Mercy Services    Geoff Smith, National Director, Anglican Board of Mission-Australia    Elektra Spathopoulos, Acting CEO, AUSTCARE    Greg Thompson, CEO, Anglicord    Mike Toole, CEO, Burnet Institute    Cam Walker, National Liaison Officer, Friends of the Earth Australia    Ian Wishart, National Executive, PLAN Australia    Mike Woodall, Executive Director, African Enterprise    David Ayliffe, CEO, International Needs Australia Visit the related web page
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