Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (the Global Fund) is working to eventually eradicate deaths from these diseases,

(ii) the Global Fund has raised from national governments and private donors $12.2 billion of the $15 billion it is seeking for the period 2014 to 2016,

(iii) from 2004 to 2013 Australia contributed a total of $400 million to the Global Fund, and in this period the Global Fund invested a total of $4 billion in the Asia-Pacific region, and

(iv) an appropriate contribution to the Global Fund by the Australian Government would be $125 million, which would take Australia's total contribution over three years to $325 million; and

(b) calls on the Australian Government to consider providing replenishment to the Global Fund.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian government supports the work of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. On 3 December 2013 the Minister for Foreign Affairs announced that Australia will commit $200 million over three years to support the global fund—the equal highest contribution by an Australian government. I note that Labor cut funding to the global fund by $10 million when it raided the aid budget to pay for the onshore processing of asylum seekers.

Australia has a long history of supporting HIV treatment and prevention. The Howard government committed $1 billion to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS. Australia is represented on the boards of the global fund and UNAIDS, where we continue to advocate strongly for our region. On 18 June the minister committed $30 million for health and medical research through the aid program, which will include research into malaria and TB treatment and prevention. The government will consider the issue of replenishments to the global fund in the context of future budgets.

Question agreed to.