Published in the Sydney Morning Herald and Fairfax online on February 9, 2013
By Tim Costello, World Vision Australia chief executive
Ever since the Prime Minister called the election, I’ve had three words repeating in my head. Fair—By—Instinct. That’s how the PM described our nation and it’s an assessment I think most Australians would agree with. Fairness is the cornerstone of our constitution and our national identity. But as we head into an election year, I think we need to ask ourselves whether we really believe in a fair go for all.
A leaked Coalition discussion paper which floats the idea of diverting overseas aid money to build a medical centre in far north Queensland is just the latest development in a series of alarming developments in the aid sector. It’s a trend that’s seeing our political leaders play with the definition of aid and it deeply concerns me. I believe that it also belittles our aspirations for fairness.
I hope our major political parties are focussed on a broader notion of justice, one that includes the poorest and most vulnerable people beyond our shores. These are the people our overseas aid program aims to help, and a recent government report concluded that our taxpayer dollars are making an extraordinary impact in their communities.
In the year 2011–12, two and half million people in Asia, the Pacific and Africa gained access to safe water as a result of Australia’s aid program. More than one million children enrolled in school and another two million children were immunised. In total, our aid reached more people than the entire population of Australia, utilising only 1.4% of the Federal Budget. The report shows that our aid program works and that it’s incredibly cost efficient. It’s also one of the most scrutinised and accountable of all Government programs.
These are results all Australians should be proud of. But with 19,000 children needlessly dying every day, there is still so much work to be done. Disturbingly, aid agencies are beginning to notice a slow, creeping attitudinal change, and the shift is happening in the worst possible place – in the hallways and meeting rooms of Parliament House.
After many years of bipartisan commitment to our aid program – and a target to reach 0.5% of gross national income by 2015 – a worrying pattern is emerging. There are of course many notable exceptions, and I am heartened by those of diverse political views who remain committed to aid. But the evidence is undeniable and the Coalition’s discussion paper is only the most recent example.
The first signs of this shift appeared just before last year’s Federal Budget, when the Government announced it would delay reaching the target by a year. Many of us in the aid and development sector were deeply disappointed by this news, particularly after so many promises had been made. In addition, the Coalition refused to re-commit to the 2015 target, leaving a once solid promise flailing in the wind.
Just a few months later, the sector was hit with another bombshell. The Government declared it would divert $375 million - or 7% of the aid budget - away from overseas programs and into processing refugees in Australia. The decision made our country the third largest recipient of our own aid, after Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Despite a symphony of discontent the Government failed to provide the sector with any information about which programs would be affected by the diversion for over six weeks. Even now the information provided is not sufficiently detailed to permit informed and useful analysis.
We must never forget that these numbers represent real human suffering. The Government’s plans could literally mean the difference between life and death for some recipients.
We do know that Australia has already reduced its funding to an important healthcare provider this year – the Global Fund. Originally committed to give $70 million to the fund, we are now only providing $59 million. Not only does this move damage our reputation as a country that meets its commitments, it also means up to 5000 people may die because they will not have access to life-saving HIV, TB and malaria treatment. Fifty-nine million may sound like a large figure but to put it in perspective, consider this – Bill Gates alone will give to the Global Fund this year two and half times what our entire country will.
I imagine the reason for Gates’ incredible generosity is because he knows something the aid sector could do well to shout from the rooftops. We know how to prevent the most common causes of death in developing countries. We just need more money.
At a time when floods and fires ravage parts of our country, and Australians keep a watchful eye on the share market, it is easy to forget the promises we’ve made to the poorest people on earth. But let’s not succumb to that temptation or lose sight of the commitments we’ve made.