Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Barker for his question. I can confirm that the Australian government will deliver an affordable, responsible and sustainable aid budget and that while Labor is continuing to make unaffordable, irresponsible and unsustainable commitments, this government will focus on the quality of our investment in developing countries in our region.

We are focusing on results for our aid budget, and we will not be misleading the Australian public into making announcements, as Labor did, of an additional $5.7 billion to the aid budget which they then withdrew from the forward estimates. We will not be ripping $740 million out of the aid budget to plug a hole in the onshore processing costs as a result of their loss of control of the borders, making the Labor Party itself the third largest recipient of Australian foreign aid. Our priorities will include alleviating poverty through economic development, through public private partnerships leveraging the private sector and through the economic empowerment of women.

We are increasing the humanitarian aspects in the budget. In fact, over the weekend I was able to announce an increase of $100 million to the eradicate polio program across our region because we have put sustainability back into the aid budget.

Mr Whiteley interjecting—

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