Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob Carr. I ask the minister if he could advise the Senate on threats to cut—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When there is silence on both sides, we will proceed. You are wasting the time of question time with senseless interjections on both sides.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob Carr. I would like to ask the minister if he can advise the Senate on threats to cut Australia's overseas aid budget by a magnitude of $800 million?

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is such a threat of a cut to the Australian aid budget. It came in this immensely detailed policy document about Northern Australia, which is weighty with detail. It proposes a huge excision in Australian development assistance abroad, without any justification. It is not compatible with the OECD guidelines that help us shape what is eligible and not eligible for Australian aid. It is a massive cut. They say that they would compensate by building a hospital in Australia, but that is not how you help the Solomons with their problem of malaria. It is not how you help get rid of polio in Pakistan. It is not how you stop the spread of TB—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order. This minister is showing discourtesy to you in continually turning his back on the President, when we should be all addressing the President. Would you please ask the minister to show some courtesy.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And I have told you repeatedly: that is not a point of order.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia's aid budget for this financial year is a record and proud $5.2 billion—that is, $315 million more than the previous year and $2 billion more than the coalition's aid budget in its last year in office. Our approach meets the OECD's guidelines for the proper use of aid. But if this coalition policy were to be implemented, a huge excision from that aid budget would take place, with the justification of building a medical research facility on Australian soil, which would make no contribution to the acute health problems of some of Australia's poor neighbours. You do not reduce the incidence of malaria in Vanuatu by building a research facility on Australian soil. You disappoint the people of the Solomons who look to Australia to beat malaria and eradicate it from their islands by 2020, as we all do. (Time expired)

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister explain to the Senate what the consequences of a cut of this magnitude of $800 million would mean for Australia's aid programs?

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It would mean 350,000 fewer vaccinations. It would mean 35,000 mothers without a birth attendant, increasing the chances of maternal and infant mortality. It would mean close to 300,000 fewer people with clean water and sanitation. It would mean 140,000 girls and boys without schooling, 6,650 teachers would not receive training—that is, in countries like Meama or Papua New Guinea—and 3,500 people without adequate access to disability services.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Someone has just said the coalition no longer adheres to the policy. What an extraordinary position! It gets released in the Telegraph this morning and now they are disowning it.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order! Senator Bob Carr, resume your seat.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Senator Bob Carr just made an assertion by pointing his finger at somebody over here. None of us said that which he asserted and it would be absolutely outrageous if that were to be allowed to remain on the Hansard in the absence of those words being spoken. That is the way they might do business in the New South Wales parliament; they do not do it that way here.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: I distinctly heard a mellifluous voice from the opposition, saying into the air: 'That's not our policy.' I am trying to be fair—

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! This is now debating it. Withdraw the comment and let us get on with question time.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is my devoutest wish, Mr President.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are withdrawing?

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Mr President. So here is the coalition's policy: $800 million out of the overseas aid budget, out in the media this morning, with Tony Abbott's stamp of approval on it. But within hours it has been disowned and it is now no longer their policy—disowned this morning. (Time expired)

Senator Kroger interjecting —

Senator Conroy interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order! That is not a point of order, Senator Conroy. I know you are not taking a point of order.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can Minister Carr please update the Senate on what we are already doing in our aid program to strengthen health services in developing countries?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If people want to interject, it is completely disorderly on both sides. If you wish to debate the issue, the time to debate the issue is when you can move a motion to take note of the answers that are given in question time after three o'clock. I remind all senators on both sides that the way in which that behaviour is happening here today is completely disorderly.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a vulgar interjection that was, Senator Kroger. You should withdraw that. What a shocking thing to say!

Mr President, we are training health workers in a range of countries. In 2011 Australia helped train more than 5,000 health workers in Indonesia, 47 undergraduate doctors, 16 specialist doctors and we are supporting 477 Australian award scholars from developing countries to study health-related causes—23 at Charles Darwin University, 138 at James Cook University and 25 at Central Queensland University. Each of these would perish with the implementation of the opposition's policy, released a few hours ago but apparently disowned more recently, according to what they are saying.

Over the last few years Australia has supported 92 health-related Australian award— (Time expired)