Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to speak on this motion tonight. I applaud the member for Parramatta for moving this motion, in that it is Anti-Poverty Week and Friday also marks the United Nations International Anti-Poverty Day. Along with many members—I would say most members of the House—I am very proud to be part of this government’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals. There are currently two UN targets in place. Firstly, there is an interim target of 0.5 per cent of gross national income. Secondly, there is the ideal target that we want all nations to commit to, which will see aid become 0.7 per cent of GDP over time. The sad fact is that the previous government sat idle on this issue for 12 years. Our current contribution is very low, at around 0.3 per cent, which means it is a massive leap to get to 0.5 per cent by 2015. We are committed to the 0.7 per cent, but it will take some time. In difficult economic times it can be tempting for some people to say that less should be spent on foreign aid. But the reality for the world’s poorest is that every day represents great economic hardship, at levels that we cannot even begin to understand. Foreign aid is something that should never be politicised; it is something that should be maintained and improved by governments all around the world, not just the Australian government.

The Australian government is also committed to continue increasing the aid budget beyond 2010 so that it reaches the interim Millennium Development Goals funding target of 0.5 per cent of gross national income by 2015. The recent federal budget laid the foundation for the implementation of this long-term goal. There is no need to say this, but I will say it anyway: being fiscally responsible and being very careful in the way we put together the budget gives us the opportunity to be able to meet our millennium goals and our targets while at the same time managing the economic crisis that we all face—and we will do that. Australia will provide an estimated $3.7 billion in overseas direct aid in the 2008-09 budget, increasing Australia’s aid from 0.3 per cent of GNI in 2007-08 to 0.32 per cent in 2008-09. The government expects to increase Australia’s aid to levels equivalent to 0.38 per cent of GNI in 2011-12. World Vision and others in the Make Poverty History Alliance have been extremely positive and excited about this commitment.

Of course, increased funding is only one aspect of the government’s commitment to end global poverty. Ensuring that aid funds are spent effectively on poverty reduction and making sure that we collectively achieve with other nations the maximum possible benefit is also essential. The government is committed to increasing both the quality and the quantity of the Australian aid program and retains the target ODA level of 0.7 per cent of GNI as an aspirational goal.

To this end, reforms are well underway to strengthen the effectiveness of our aid. For example, the AusAID Development Research Strategy 2008-10 provides greater transparency on the performance of the aid program to the Australian public and will encourage greater debate on the challenges facing our region. This strategy outlines the way AusAID will increase the role of research in contributing to the effectiveness of the aid program, including a whole range of things that we are doing—strengthening funding for development research, establishing stronger ties and a whole range of other really effective applications that we can put forward. In the end, by partnering with other organisations and institutions we can increase the effectiveness and the efficiency of the money that we provide in direct foreign aid.

Australians sit proudly as the second-most generous aid contributors in the world in terms of contributions to non-government organisations. We have a very strong and long history and we have seen in recent years just how generous Australians can be. I think that is at most times also reflected in the culture in the Australian government. The government is committed to ensuring that Australia once again becomes a development leader by ensuring that an increased aid budget has a genuinely positive impact on those who need it most.

I would also like to recognise and congratulate the dedicated and very enthusiastic cyclists who rode from Brisbane to Canberra as part of the Micah Challenge. Being an avid cyclist myself it was great to see such a devoted team highlighting the plight of so many millions of children around the world.

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