23/09/2014 

22 September 2014 Poverty and, extreme poverty in particular, continues to be major issue around the world. According to the United Nations, global extreme poverty, that is, people living on less than 7.6 billion that they cut from our overseas aid budget. Under Labor, overseas aid helped make a difference to the lives and health outcomes of millions of people in countries like Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan and Timor-Leste. Labor doubled Australias contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. And we near doubled Australias annual aid budget from 5.7 billion in 6 years of government, despite the tough budgetary environment, so as to maintain the commitment of the Howard Government to continue to raise the aid budget to 0.5 per cent of GNI. A commitment the now Prime Minister also made before being elected - and promised to keep as late as December last year I might add. A commitment that he has been abandoned. Im proud to say that Novocastrians are generous supporters of international development and make a substantial contribution both financially and with our time to nations not as well-off as ours. More than 20,000 individuals, 500 local businesses and 55 community and church groups in Newcastle actively support international development. A number of these contributors joined the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development and I last week in a public forum and raised concerns about the current state of Australias overseas aid budget. The message on the day was loud and clear: as an economically rich and developed nation, Australia has a responsibility to be a global leader in delivering aid programs and funding. I draw the Houses attention to the ongoing work of Micah Challenge, which this year shines a light on multinational tax dodging and corruption. In their words the Shine the Light initiative has been designed to tackle the scourge of tax dodging which robs developing countries on a massive scale of vital revenue for poverty reduction and sustainable human development. In 2008, it was estimated that more than 1.1 billion in tax loopholes introduced by Labor, so I do hope they take heed and get to work now. I urge all Members of Parliament to take an active role in ensuring Australia continues to be a leader in the delivery of overseas aid programs and funding.