Louise Markus (Greenway, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to acknowledge and support the work of Micah Challenge. Micah Challenge Australia is a global Christian campaign comprising over 40 Christian aid and development and church groups who are working together to provide a powerful voice for the poorer communities of the world. Next week across the nation and in Canberra, Micah Challenge will be holding and hosting a number of activities which will be not just about raising awareness but about challenging governments and people in our communities to increase action and become more generous.

This year Micah Challenge will be focusing on the key framework of the Millennium Development Goals. These eight goals include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; the achievement of universal primary education; the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women; the reduction of child mortality; the improvement of maternal health; the combating of HIV-AIDS, malaria and other diseases; the assurance of environmental sustainability; and the development of a global partnership for development.

There has been progress made; however, not one region in the world is on the way to achieving their goals and there are many more who are nowhere near achieving them. I do, however, wish to congratulate the G8 countries that have committed to write-off the debts of 19 of the poorest nations in the world. But there is more to be done. Over 835 million people will suffer from chronic hunger. Over 10.4 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2004 from preventible causes. More than one in five girls of primary school age do not attend school. Basic sanitation in the developing world is accessed by less than half of its people. Having travelled throughout PNG and the Philippines, I have observed some of these challenges firsthand. In PNG, just at our doorstep, it is estimated that 34 per cent of the population are suffering from HIV-AIDS.

Micah Challenge Australia is also a sister campaign to Make Poverty History, and I support their call to the Australian government to keep its commitment to help achieve the millennium goals and halve global poverty by 2015. In 2005-06 the ratio of Australian ODA to gross national income is estimated at 0.28 per cent, placing Australia above the OECD donor average, which in 2004 was 0.25 per cent. I would like to see us at least reach 0.3 per cent in 2006-07, but I encourage the Australian government to use the millennium goals as key measures when evaluating and planning our aid program. Australia has committed to providing increased aid focused on reducing poverty. (Time expired)