Australia reneges on aid target

For broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 6 Apr 2014.

Last week, the report of a Senate inquiry into Australia’s overseas aid and development assistance program recommended that Australia’s target of 0.5 per cent of gross national income be met by the year 2025.  Both Labor and the Coalition had pledged to meet this target by 2015.

Australian Christian Lobby managing director Lyle Shelton said Australia was a prosperous country and had a moral responsibility to increase aid to the world’s poorest.

“This new time frame is a major step back in our country’s role in meeting the Millennium Development Goals. More importantly, it’s a huge failure to the millions of people whose lives are at risk each day because of poverty,” Mr Shelton said.

“In a region where there are enormous vulnerabilities for natural disasters and public health issues, Australia’s contribution to increasing aid is a means of acting justly to ensure the long term peace, health and wellbeing of the region.”

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.