Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

recently held a foreign aid forum in my electorate with Tanya Plibersek, the shadow foreign affairs minister, and Stefanie Perri, the ALP candidate for the state seat of Box Hill. My seat is home to the headquarters of both World Vision and the Christian Blind Mission and an overwhelming number of people of good faith and vision who are dedicated to the eradication of poverty. They came together to express their concern for our declining aid budget and to voice their desire to see Australia do more for the poor in our region and in the world.

The forum was outraged by the government's $7.6 billion cut to aid, including a $110 million decrease for the Asia-Pacific in one year alone. Many who attended work in the aid sector. They are concerned about the loss of dedicated aid professionals and the increase in the government's use of private providers. The loss of expertise threatens the effectiveness of our aid program, with over 500 staff being sacked in the foreign affairs department, including former AusAID expertise with critical experience in developing overseas aid.

They also expressed grave concern about the government's appalling approach to the Ebola crisis. The UN has warned that the world has just 60 days to get Ebola under control or face an 'unprecedented situation for which we don't have a plan'. The World Health Organization says the virus is 'running faster than us and it is winning the race' as it sweeps West Africa. The warning comes as the number of cases has hit that 10,000 mark, with the deadly virus killing half of those affected.

Ebola can be halted with vigilance. We need a better answer than 'Fortress Australia'. The government can send troops into harm's way in Iraq to the tune of $400 million, but they cannot send experts to West Africa to assist with a war on disease. I ask why.

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