Coalition aid cuts leave Australians broken-hearted: World Vision

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Bipartisan support for Australia’s aid program is officially in tatters after the Coalition announced plans to slash a shocking $4.5 billion from the aid budget over the next four years.

World Vision Australia chief executive Tim Costello said the announcement to cut billions of dollars from the aid budget to fund roads in Australia is a tragedy for the world’s poorest people.

“This decision is truly devastating,” Mr Costello said. “For five years the Coalition has been promising to increase our aid budget to 0.5 per cent of national income and now we discover they actually plan to reduce that percentage.

“This decision has wiped out a generation of youth idealism, and broken the hearts of Australians who dare to care about people beyond our borders.

“Earlier this year, the Coalition was quick to criticise the Government for funding refugee costs and here they are redirecting billions of dollars to build roads in Australia.

“The Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey has stood before the Australian people and declared there would be no cuts to education and no cuts to health, but what about the health and education of children in the developing world?

“Only 18 months ago, both major parties were strongly committed to increasing our aid budget to 0.5 per cent of national income by 2015. This promise is now in tatters.”

The Coalition’s announcement comes after a series of similar cut-backs by the Labor Government that saw the removal of $5.7 billion from the aid budget between 2012 and 2016.

“It is deeply disappointing to see Australia’s aid budget used as a convenient piggybank every time a major party needs to find a few dollars,” Mr Costello said. “We understand our country faces economic challenges but we should never, ever balance the books on the backs of the poor.”

Mr Costello said it was time for all parties to come together to re-establish bi-partisan support for a sustainable scale-up of the aid program.

ENDS

To interview Tim Costello, please contact Chloe Adams on 0427 413 816

Media Releases, Poverty, Asia and the Pacific, Australian Government, Budget Cuts, Foreign Aid, Tim Costello

Back to all Results