In response to Mr Hendy’s interest about the Rights of the Global Poor (BDN, 15/7), I would like to support the Micah Challenge advocates and also express my sincere concerns in relation to the Abbott government’s recent cuts to Australia’s foreign aid budget, which Mr Hendy would support, being our local representative in the Federal Government.
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In 2002, Australia agreed to be part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aimed to halve poverty in the developing world by 2015.
The amount needed for this plan to be effective was for each of the 23 participating developed countries to commit to giving 0.7 per cent of their gross national income (GNI) to foreign aid.
Since 2002, Australia has managed to achieve half of this amount with only 0.35 per cent of our GNI going to overseas aid.
This places Australia at a dismal 13th place out of 23 donor countries who committed to the MDGs.
Prior to the recent budget announcement there was bipartisan support for Australia’s aid levels to increase from 0.35 per cent to 0.5 per cent of GNI.
However, in the recent budget it was announced that Australia would cut $7.6billion over the next five years from our overseas aid funds.
These cuts will mean that Australia’s now contributes only 0.33 per cent of GNI (33cents for every $100), slashing our support to a maximum of just $5billion per year.
This decision leads me to believe that Australia is rapidly walking away from our long-term international aid commitments.
It distresses me greatly, Mr Hendy, that your government lacks the generosity and goodwill that we as Australians are so famous for.
Being one of the luckiest and more fortunate countries in the world, we should be sharing and setting a good example for other countries, rather than turning our backs on them.
These decisions have real impacts on real people in real communities and they will suffer greatly from your government’s lack of compassion.
We should be extending our support and assistance for the poorest countries to help build a world of equality and social justice for all of us.
It saddens me greatly, that instead Australia is becoming an increasingly inward looking island of selfishness.
Georgia Taylor
Year 10, Lumen Christi Catholic College