Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question without notice is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Carr. Does the minister acknowledge the concerns of the Movement to End Poverty and of the 1,000 young people engaged in the campaign of the Oaktree Foundation, the Make Poverty History coalition and the Micah Challenge about the government and the coalition dragging their feet on financing 0.5 per cent of GNI for overseas aid and also dragging their feet on the Millennium Development Goals? And, if so, will the government identify the specific year in which Australia intends to achieve the goal of 0.7 per cent of gross national income for overseas aid?

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

It is the goal I identified at the rally I attended with Senator Milne today. I made that commitment, I made it clear and I do not resile from it. We spoke to them. That is public and we adhere to it. What Senator Milne is entering into is an argument—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

I am sorry, did you mention Senator Arbib?

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

Senator Carr, ignore the interjections. Address the question and ignore the interjections

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

There is only one figure in this Senate chamber who opted to be a business partner and co-investor of Senator Arbib and that is—

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

Order! Senator Carr, come to the question.

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

We will deliver, as we said we will. There is a larger question about when we get to 0.7 per cent. And there is a larger question sought by those people today, those fine upstanding people, for 2020. I cannot make that commitment. I can say that, when we reach 0.5 per cent as targeted, we can make a decision about reaching 0.7 per cent. I can say that everything we have done with aid is absolutely compatible with the goals we have laid out, including the decision to sustain people bidding for asylum seeker status while they are on Australian soil from the ODA budget, as is compatible with OECD guidelines. I do not apologise for that.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for indicating there is no time frame for 0.7. I now ask a supplementary question: given that the government has rolled its climate financing obligations under the UNFCCC into the overseas aid budget, will the government be transparent in this year's budget as to what the exact dollar figure is that is already committed for climate finance in 2013-14, so everyone can see what remains for overseas aid?

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

We are on target to reach 0.5 per cent, as I said—and I have got my speech in front of me—by 2016-17. We have said that before and we say it again. We are totally accountable in terms of every aspect of the AusAID budget. As I said at the estimates committee, you can find the details online and we are proud of that level of accountability. In estimates recently, the opposition and the Green party were able to exhaust their folder of questions about AusAID expenditure, with every question being met in comprehensive detail.

Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nonsense!

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

Name one that is outstanding. Name one; I want just one.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order, on both sides. It is Senator Milne's question and Senator Milne is on her feet.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I would ask that the minister go to the question, and that is the dollar figure in this year's budget in terms of transparency for UNFCCC funding.

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

I cannot answer the detail of that question. I will take advice.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to think we will get that transparency. Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Minister, given your concern for Kiribati and Laos that you mentioned this morning and the important projects that we support in those countries, why have you redirected $375 million to offshore processing, away from overseas aid, particularly slashing $50 million from the Pacific and $6 million from Laos, having said that they were important projects?

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

I can say, after visiting Laos three weeks ago, that the government and indeed the community of Laos are enormously grateful to Australia for the aid that, among other things, funds demining of unexploded ordnance in the north of that country; funds operations on youngsters in the Vientiane hospital; restores the sight of Laotians with sight impairment and blindness; and provides university scholarships for 70 young Laotians. I was honoured to be there on behalf of Australia to hand out those scholarships.

I have to say that, in my meetings with the leaders of Laos—the Prime Minister, the foreign minister and other ministers— I encountered nothing but warm-hearted friendship and gratitude for the Australian aid partnership. All Australians can be proud of our contribution to this developing country. On Kiribati, what other nation has enlisted itself— (Time expired)