16th October, 2015
Micah Australia has welcomed the Federal Opposition’s pledge to restore $30 million of funding to non-government aid agencies should they be elected to government but urged both sides of politics to reverse the $11 billion in cuts made to the foreign aid budget since the Coalition came to power.
Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek also announced today that a Labor Government would provide $10 million in funding to help improve the effectiveness of foreign aid and would look to increase transparency and accountability of the foreign aid budget.
Ben Thurley, coordinator of Micah Australia – a coalition of churches and other Christian organisations, welcomed the moves but called on the Federal Opposition and the Turnbull Government to reverse recent cuts made to Australia’s foreign aid budget which will see it fall to just 22 cents out of every $100 of national income next year.
"Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and has the sixth lowest level of debt among all developed countries," he said. "Yet aid is being cut to its lowest level in history…We have the ability to do more and, in a region of countries struggling against poverty, Australians must step up to do more."
He said both Labor and the Coalition needed to announce a timetable to lift Australia’s aid contribution to 70 cents of every $100 of national income to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
– DAVID ADAMS
