Both major parties have an opportunity to clearly state they will preserve and even increase Australia’s overseas aid budget, after cuts by London and Washington.
It seems slightly optimistic to propose replacing lost US + UK funding with our own, even if the scope is limited to be regional only (we’re not exactly peer-level economically), but there are worse things than optimistic politics.
edit: typo
Thats not really what the writer suggests.
They state our foreign aid spending is currently at 0.68% of Australia’s yearly budget, and suggest we should increase it over a period of two/three years to 1% of the budget.
In 2022-23, Australia spent AUD 4.78 billion across 913 international investments.
What gets me, is how much we’re spending in Papua New Guinea, $640 million. Its the largest spend by double in that year!
Thats the kind of money going to a single country that i’d hope would be enough to build it into a self reliant country. Is that what we’re doing, or are my guesstimations severely optimistic?
Surely (despite it being meaningful to the people/orgs/countries etc which it would help) an increase to 1% of the budget is still insignificant compared to all the lost budget from US/UK funding though :(
I don’t think anyone suggested replacing the US/UK dollar for dollar.
What was suggested in the article is we can come in, with a relatively small investment and keep some things going in some areas.
The key to their argument is, due to the nature of the global aid-in-retreat situation, our step up would be more notably received than at other times. Thereby boosting our diplomatic and soft power reputation.
It is cynical, and callous terms to think in, but a budgetary shift like this could also save some lives at risk due to these aid cuts. And Australia could always use a better reputation, and closer ties to our region.
I guess that depends on who wins the next election.
I hated when I had a manager who characterized our weak numbers as “opportunities.” It sounded corporate and fake. So does this headline.
Religious orgs are going to swoop in.
