Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges Australia's important role in building a fairer and more equal world through its contribution to international aid;

(2) notes that:

(a) while the global community is making progress towards ending poverty, hunger and the worst epidemics, global inequality remains a problem with many millions still living in extreme poverty;

(b) challenges such as the threat of global unrest and conflict, human slavery, refugees, terrorism and radicalisation, mass migration, humanitarian crises and climate change, all require global solutions and cooperation;

(c) Australian aid makes a significant contribution to addressing the root causes of conflict, helps prevent the factors that drive people to seek asylum and helps create stronger democracies, stable states and strengthen communities and economies; and

(d) nations that were once aid recipients such as China and South Korea now have fewer people living in extreme poverty and are now major economies and trading partners for Australia; and

(3) acknowledges the continuing need for Australian aid to increase to advance our common goal to eliminate poverty around the world in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals signed by former Prime Minister John Howard in 2000, and reconfirmed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in 2015.

I am a firm believer that societies are judged on the way they treat their most vulnerable members, and this can be applied just as much to our national community as to the global community we are all part of. Foreign aid plays a vital role in creating long-term global political and economic stability. Australia's aid program is an important tool in tackling the root causes of global challenges such as disease, poverty, climate change and environmental degradation. It builds collaboration and empowers other nations to lead their own development and address local issues including extreme poverty and inequality. No-one can deny the benefits that aid has generated globally, from the elimination of, for example, smallpox— an achievement that has saved well over 200 million lives—to improved health services for women and children, halving the mortality rates for children under five years of age and for pregnant women since 1990. These are big achievements.

Since the end of the Cold War, aid has helped promote the democratisation of nations and helped strengthen fledging democracies around the world. But it is not only recipient countries that benefit from foreign aid. Australian aid contributes to stability amongst Australia's close neighbours, including the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in PNG. These countries have experienced periods of conflict, instability and at times illnesses and diseases et cetera, the elimination of which we take for granted. Our aid helps keep stability in these countries, some of the nations closest to us, and therefore stability in our region. A lack of stability could be both costly and dangerous. Australian aid also helps control the spread of disease, as I said earlier, such as stemming the spread of TB, which is a problem in PNG, one of our closest neighbours. In the Solomon Islands Australia has worked with the World Health Organization to assist the Solomon Islands government in its attempts to reduce malaria, bringing about significant declines in malaria incidences in the country.

Of course, there are many arguments that people use to diminish the effectiveness of aid, and corruption is just one example that we hear often. It is easy to dismiss the effectiveness of aid, because problems persist in so many countries around the world. Sometimes it can feel like a drop in the ocean. But that should not stop us from continuing to explore new ways of helping those in need. The data shows that aid does work. It is working where we are assisting. For example, the proportion of the world's population living under the World Bank's lowest global poverty line fell from 42 per cent in 1981 to just 11 per cent in 2013.

Here in Australia we are known for our sense of fairness and equality, and we can be proud of the significant achievements of the aid programs we have delivered throughout the world and our region. Our aid effort is slightly above average and we remain a significant donor, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. However, given the problems faced around the world and the benefits foreign aid can have on Australia, directly and indirectly, we must remain vigilant. We must not allow it to decline, as it has been now for some time. Our aid contribution is now at its lowest level in Australia's history, at 0.23 per cent of gross national income. When most Australians hear these figures, they often report saying that we should be increasing our foreign aid. This shows that we are a compassionate nation. When you sit down and actually explain those figures to people, the majority response that I normally get is that we should increase it.

We are a compassionate nation, and I understand that there are also many people in need right here—in our backyard. We have the real responsibility to help these people, but I suppose that it does not have to be a question of either/or. Most Australians recognise that help needs to go where it is needed and that in doing so we all benefit.

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