11th February, 2011

The Australian arm of Micah Challenge, a global Christian movement aimed at ensuring the Millennium Development Goals are met, has expressed its "strong opposition" to a Federal Opposition proposal to defer $448 million of foreign aid to Indonesia.

The Federal Opposition proposed the aid be deferred as part of a package of proposals aimed at finding government money to to fund flood relief instead of introducing the Government's proposed $1.8 billion flood levy.

John Beckett, Micah Challenge's national coordinator, said the announcement was "not good news for the world's poor".

“It’s alarming that the Opposition would propose foreign aid as one of the first budget items they would cut," he said. "If (Opposition Leader Tony) Abbott is considering walking away from the bipartisan commitment to 0.5 per cent GNI, Christians in Australia need to hold him to account.”

Micah Challenge says the proposed funding cuts will defer spending for a schools program in Indonesia, a country where none of the Millennium Development Goals have yet been achieved.

“In Australia’s time of need, we should be acting with more compassion, not less. We would not be acting with integrity if we redirect promised funds away from others in their time of need,” said Mr Beckett.

“We are a wealthy nation and we have the capacity to find or raise the necessary funds without jeopardising the wellbeing of our global neighbours.”

~ www.micahchallenge.org.au

- DAVID ADAMS