Melissa Parke (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I want to speak about the global challenge of poverty. This week Oxfam Australia brought Steve Price-Thomas, Oxfam's international adviser on the G20, to parliament. I had the opportunity to meet with him, as I know some other members in this place did also. It provided a timely opportunity, as Australia prepares to join the G20 troika, to discuss the role of the most powerful and influential body on the globe in addressing the truly global challenge of eradicating poverty. Many in this place may be aware that the G20 members account for more than 80 per cent of global GDP. Yet some may be surprised to learn that more than half of the world's poor, more than 750 million people, live within G20 nations. Poor people in India, China and Indonesia make up the great majority of this population living on under US$1.25 a day, with smaller numbers in South Africa and Brazil as well.

What does this mean for our efforts to eradicate poverty? Well, it is definitely a thought-provoking question. Quite clearly it is not just a problem of capital, as the nations in which the majority of the world's poor reside have both large and growing economies. So how do we in Australia and those of us in this place that care about lifting people out of poverty help those who need it? The message from Oxfam this week was to focus now on what we can do when Australia hosts the G20 in 2014. Oxfam points out that the more equal a society is, the greater the impact economic growth has in reducing the numbers of people living in poverty. If we can, through the G20, make the powerful economic growth in these countries really work for the poor, we will see millions in our region lifted out of poverty. If we can focus the G20 on the myriad challenges in the area of food security, we will see less hunger in our region and around the world. Reducing poverty and hunger in our region is in our national interest and it is also the right thing to do. I know that many in this place share this sentiment.

Oxfam notes that the G20 has no mandate and no secretariat. This gives the president considerable power to shape the agenda. Australia, when we take up the G20 presidency at the end of 2013, will be able to set the agenda for the G20 Leaders Summit in Brisbane on 15 and 16 November 2014. On top of that, Australia will have considerable influence over the direction of the G20 for three years as a member of the troika of the past, current and future president members. We join the troika with Mexico and Russia at the end of this year. This is a fantastic opportunity for Australia to influence global affairs and I think it is right that we are cognisant of the opportunity we are presented with to make big gains for the development agenda within this forum.

Development is rightly already on the agenda of the G20 as outlined by its commitment to the important principles and pillars of the Seoul Development Consensus for Shared Growth. But it is fair to say that development issues like food security, like dealing with tax havens, have not been given the attention they deserve. The G20 cannot alone resolve all of the world's problems. Sure, it has had some successes—most notably dealing reasonably well with the 2008 Global Financial Crisis—but outside of crisis the forum has failed to deliver on many counts.

Its unwillingness to deal with biofuels mandates and subsidies, which continue to exacerbate food price volatility around the world, is one source of frustration for many, including Oxfam. After this year's Los Cabos summit Oxfam noted that food security was supposed to have been a priority for the summit but the G20 failed to come up with a plan to secure food for the one billion people worldwide who go hungry every day. Another issue has been the G20's reluctance to finish the job on dealing with tax havens. Developing nations are losing out on billions of dollars of tax revenue through international tax evasion and other illicit activities. This revenue should remain in the countries where it rightfully belongs and potentially be put toward health and education services.

But despite the failures and frustrations, Australia over multiple governments has rightly invested in the G20. It gives us a seat at the table with the powerhouses of the global economy. We should continue to work to see that this forum functions as well as it can and delivers real outcomes in line with its mission to deliver strong, sustainable and balanced growth. This means addressing the macroeconomic issues of the moment, but it also means making poverty, inequality and food security a focus of our efforts.