Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very happy to speak on this motion relating to international poverty and Australia’s efforts to assist those in need. As we all know, this week is Anti-Poverty Week and the United Nations has declared this Friday, 17 October, International Anti-Poverty Day. As Australians, we are extremely fortunate to live in a country where extreme poverty is not a common occurrence. But as those of us who have travelled in neighbouring regions know, we do not have to go very far to find people who are living in horrific conditions.

Earlier this year I was very fortunate to be part of the Australian parliamentary delegation to Cambodia to observe Cambodia’s fourth national general elections. My visit to Cambodia really highlighted for me the level of poverty that exists within our region. During the eight days I spent in Cambodia I travelled beyond its centre, Phnom Penh, and throughout the countryside, which allowed me to gain an insight into the realities of life in an impoverished nation. As Australians we live in a country where, although poverty is not unknown, absolute poverty is a rarity. Cambodia is a country where absolute poverty lies around every corner. Whether I was walking the streets of the capital or travelling through the remote countryside, there were scenes of abject poverty which have been seared into my memory. For decades, the Cambodian people suffered at the hands of oppressive and corrupt governments—most famously under the Khmer Rouge and its brutal leader, Pol Pot. No single person in Cambodia would remain untouched by the horrors of the past. Indeed, under Pol Pot a population of eight million was reduced to five million in a matter of years. While the recent election brought with it a number of positive developments and the tide looks like it is finally turning, the repercussions of Pol Pot’s murderous regime will linger for some time yet, with perhaps the most unfortunate consequence being widespread poverty.

According to common poverty measurements, such as income and broader human development indicators, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world. The statistics are alarming. For example, about one in three Cambodians live below the national poverty line of just 45c a day. It is not until you see the human toll behind the figures that the full realisation of absolute poverty becomes apparent. Added to this, the internal troubles are extrapolated by external ones. Fears over political instability and corruption have, to a large extent, deterred foreign investment in the country. Corruption is both a cause and an effect of poverty, and the historical corruption that has become almost synonymous with Cambodia’s ruling elite has been perhaps the most direct factor in the inadequate levels of health care and education, for example.

I would like to commend the excellent work carried out by AusAID across Cambodia. In the 2008-09 financial year, Australia will provide approximately $37 million to promote development, stability and prosperity in Cambodia. AusAID aims to increase the productivity and incomes of the poor, reduce vulnerability and strengthen the rule of law. There are many incredible projects operating in Cambodia, and one in particular that I enjoyed visiting was Radio National Kampuchea, which operates under AusAID’s Cambodia Radio Development Assistance Program. The radio station has set new standards for political debate in Cambodia and has introduced a talkback program to enable broadbased participation by those living in rural and remote communities. This was the first election that Cambodia has had where the population had access to such a great thing. The day we were there, we actually saw this undertaken—in very primitive conditions but it is an excellent step forward for democracy.

Improving agricultural practices is one of the goals of AusAID’s work in Cambodia. Through programs such as the Agriculture Value Chain Program, the Agriculture Quality Improvement Project, Integrated Rural Development and Water Resource Management, farmers, researchers and policymakers in Cambodia are learning practical skills which will ensure improved food security and productivity, better marketing and value-adding for products and increased income for farmers. I was able to observe some of the benefits of these programs during my visit and I was extremely impressed by the high standard of the work being undertaken.

In addition to the projects run by AusAID, there are many volunteers working for non-government organisations in Cambodia who are devoting years of their lives to helping the Cambodian people overcome the repercussions of poverty. I was very privileged to meet some of these great young Australians, and we should be very proud that they are over there giving their time—basically free of charge—to help an impoverished nation. It is a testament to the human spirit that so many people give selflessly in order to improve the lives of others. I would like to commend the excellent work done by Micah Challenge and Make Poverty History across the world. Make Poverty History, in particular, has made an invaluable contribution in the fight against global poverty by putting the issue firmly on the political and public radar.

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