Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee
27/02/2014
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE PORTFOLIO - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Responding to reports that the Abbott government has removed poverty alleviation as a goal of Australia’s foreign aid program, Greens international aid and development spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

 “Australia has dealt yet another savage blow to the world’s poorest by removing poverty reduction from the goals of the foreign aid budget.

 “There seems to be no limit to the Coalition’s harsh and selfish attitude towards our aid program.

MEDIA ALERT
12 February 2014

Senate supports Greens amendments calling for $96 million increase in aid to Syria

Greens foreign aid spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon today successfully moved amendments to a Labor motion calling on the Australian Government to increase its aid to Syria. 

Senator Rhiannon’s amendments put a dollar figure on the increase in humanitarian aid the Senate has called on the Abbott government to implement.

This article was published in New Matilda on 24 January 2014.

Still reeling from the Coalition’s election-eve announcement of a $4.5 billion cut to the aid budget (now the subject of a Senate Inquiry), our country's beleaguered foreign aid program is now having its reputation dragged through the mud.

MEDIA RELEASE
18 January 2014

Govt aid cuts and open door for business major setback for poverty alleviation

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop’s announcement about the latest cuts to Australia’s overseas aid budget marks another Coalition government broken promise that will mean the end to a range of poverty eradication programs in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Greens overseas aid spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said today. 

MEDIA COMMENT
17 January 2014

$95 million aid cut to the International Development Association

Greens overseas aid and development spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

“The $95 million International Development Association funding should have been redirected to poverty alleviation not chopped out of the already squeezed aid budget.

It has been a big year. While the election of the Abbott government is a serious setback, community action on climate change, public education, open and accountable government, and many other critical campaigns is resonating.

Senator MOORE (Queensland) (16:02): I, and also on behalf of Senator Rhiannon, move:

That the Senate-

(a) notes that:

(i) the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria is staggering, and that according to Oxfam and CARE - two non-government organisations (NGOs) operating in the region - estimates suggest that:

(A) more than 100 000 lives have been lost and more than 2.2 million people have fled the country since 2011,

(B) an estimated 9.3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria, and

Senator RHIANNON: I move the motion as amended.

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) Australia and other donors are due to announce their 3-year pledges to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria at the replenishment meeting being held in Washington DC on the morning of 4 December 2013 (AEST),

(ii) the Global Fund is seeking a total of $15 billion to build on progress in bringing an end to AIDS, TB and malaria,

Wednesday, November 13, 2013 That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) on World Sight Day, held on 10 October 2013, the Global Action Plan to reduce avoidable blindness and vision impairment by 25 per cent by 2019 was promoted, and (ii) more than $80 million from Australia's aid budget has been allocated to blindness prevention work in low-income countries since 2007; (b) congratulates Vision 2020 Australia for its work to focus global attention on taking action to prevent blindness and vision impairment; and (c) calls on the Australian Government and partner countries to contin