John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In last night's adjournment debate I spoke about the efforts of the Tigers Oxfam Trailwalker Team in 2012. Our team took part in three 100-kilometre non-stop walks in just four months and, as I reported, has participated in 12 trail walks since 2007. We have raised $284,512.41 to date to support the work of Oxfam.

Tonight, I would like to provide one example of the work of Oxfam supporting some of the world's most marginalised people. It is a project that has been underway for the past few years in Laos. The project has focused on the delivery of four programs providing basic services and infrastructure—small scale irrigation, rice banks, water security and the provision of basic hygiene amenities and education. The small scale irrigation project targeted 20 villages and assisted nine families in Mune, as well as 11 families in the Samoui district of Laos. These families now have more sophisticated agricultural infrastructure and, importantly, a more reliable food source.

Oxfam has also assisted these communities establish rice banks, which help families to get by during periods of food shortages. While private rice lenders usually charge an interest rate of 50 to 60 per cent, the Oxfam assisted rice bank charges have only a 10 per cent interest rate. This has been a very valuable tool in helping over 230 needy families in the Mune and Samoui areas. Reliable food and water sources and access to basic hygiene amenities are critically important in these remote villages. This Oxfam project has provided three gravity-fed water systems, one in Mune and two in Samoui. And nine boreholes across a number of villages now provide water to 2,466 people in Mune and 594 people in Samoui.

Oxfam has been instrumental in not only educating people about and teaching people to use latrines but also building new latrines. In the Mune and Samoui regions there are just 296 household latrines for some 1,500 people. Due to Oxfam's education program and the building of additional amenities, latrine usage has increased from 65 per cent to 70 per cent in Mune, and from 17 per cent to 22 per cent in Samoui. It is important to acknowledge that this project has been a joint venture between AusAID and Oxfam. Oxfam's contribution has been quantified at $122,908 and a substantial contribution of $144,674 has been made by AusAID. The total is $267,615.

I use this one little-known example of the work of Oxfam in saving lives and promoting sustainable economic development to put into perspective the importance of the contribution of the supporters of our Tigers Oxfam Trailwalk Team. The cost of Oxfam's poverty reduction programs in the Mune and Samoui districts of Laos, along with the contribution of AusAID, broadly equates with the Tigers fundraising efforts in 12 trail walks, over five years, although administration costs do need to be taken into account.

This is an important point because, of course, all charities, NGOs and other organisations that rely on income from donations do bear administrative costs. I am pleased that Oxfam continually scores very highly at the PwC Transparency Awards for charities. The PwC Transparency Awards were introduced in 2007 'to recognise the quality and transparency of reporting in the not-for-profit sector'. I have said previously that 'openness and transparency in government are at the heart of the democratic contract' and, similarly, it is my firm view that openness and transparency in charities should be at the heart of the donor contract.

In 2008, Oxfam took home the gold medal for being the most transparent and open charity with revenue of over $30 million in Australia. In 2010 and 2011, Oxfam Australia was the runner-up for the PwC award category of 'revenue over $30 million'. So when the Tigers team hits the track in an Oxfam trail walk, and such hard work is put in by our team and supporters to raise money for them, it does help to know that Oxfam ensures such a high percentage of the money raised is going to the front line—directly to the projects, such as the one I have detailed in the Senate tonight. I do think that it is important for those who so generously support a charity like Oxfam and a team like the Tigers Trailwalkers to know their money, their contribution, is making a real difference to the lives and livelihoods of so many less fortunate than ourselves.

Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Faulkner, and congratulations.