Costello savages Australia's 'shameful' aid record

ABC NEWS

Australia has had a shameful performance when it comes to sending aid overseas, according to World Vision head Tim Costello.

Speaking at a forum on global aid and health, Mr Costello lashed out at the Government's and Opposition's position on aid to some of Australia's closest neighbours.
He says some of the world's poorest people are in countries like Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Solomon Islands.

Mr Costello described a health clinic in Papua New Guinea which is in sight of Australian territory, where pregnant women have to bring their own buckets of water to give birth because of poor sanitation.
"You can literally see Australian coastal territory islands from that health clinic's shore, which says to you, what's the moral significance of this piece of sea?" he said.

Mr Costello blames the Millennium Development Goals for Australia's poor performance.
He says the goals have been a great achievement, but have allowed for complacency in Canberra.
"Take our Millennium Development Goals. Far from perfect, they were still an extraordinary achievement because they have galvanised the world's mind and each year at the UN there is a scorecard," he said.
"It's been one of the reasons why we have got bipartisan support for fixing Australia's shameful performance in terms of our levels of overseas aid."

Australia spends 33 cents in every $100 of national income on overseas aid, compared to the UK, which spends 50 cents to every $100.
Mr Costello says even the British government is planning to increase that amount.
"Here are the British ... slashing and burning their budget because they've been really hit by the global financial crisis and a Tory PM says we aren't cutting aid and we're not compromising our promises to the world's poor," he said.

Mr Costello says Australia has already felt the effects of a global health crisis with swine flu, yet fails to act on the pandemic scale of diseases like malaria just offshore.
"Some people got sick in Mexico and we were closing primary schools in Victoria and Melbourne because of the fear pandemics," he said.
"We know that in our region - Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and PNG - there are more people with malaria than anywhere else in the world." The Millennium Development Goals have seen the numbers of children dying each day from preventable diseases halved. Mr Costello says this is encouraging.

"For the very little we spend, when you hear those figures, I think we need to say this is remarkable and imagine if we were really serious, if we really stepped up, what might be possible," he said

Comments

Post a Comment

Please free to leave comments.

Popular posts from this blog

HIGHLANDS FRAUD F*CKS RUNNING GOVERNMENT AGENCY,,,

Image
A Fraudster and unqualified person has been shortlisted for NEC submission for the position of CEPA Managing Director. The candidate in question is Jude Tukulyia. His academic credentials are subject to scrutiny. Further investigation is required to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of his qualifications, particularly the reported diploma in accounting, Bachelor of Laws, MBA from Divine Word and UPNG respectively. It is very suspicious and unprofessional  when the Minister for Environment Conservation and Climate Change, Hon Simo Kilepa, wrote to UPNG Vice Chancellor asking to confirm Jude’s questioned education qualifications. This very due diligence work is the core responsibility of the Public Service Commission and Department of Personnel Management. What authority does the portfolio minister have to write to the Universities? Dumbfounding indeed if one asks. Ulterior motives written all over the letter. This amounts to  Questionable Academic Qualifications of Mr Tukulyia.    
Read more

AUGUSTINE MANO PNG'S PREMIER CORPORATE CROOK

Image
by  MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN In a significant setback for Mineral Resources Development Corporation (MRDC), the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea has dismissed the company's appeal to stop criminal investigations into its dealings with landowner funds held in the Pacific Balance Fund (PBF). The court ruled that MRDC's appeal was an "abuse of process" and ordered the company to pay costs of the proceedings. MRDC, a unit holder in PBF, had taken legal action against the National Court's decision to dismiss its case, arguing that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter. However, the Supreme Court disagreed and held that MRDC's appeal was nothing more than an attempt to interfere with the police's criminal investigative process. The court found that MRDC had no authority to conducted its own investigation into the activities of the Melanesian Trustee Services Limited (MTSL), the fund manager of PBF, and that its actions were in violation of the Trust Deed
Read more

PNG, VERY RICH YET STILL A VERY VERY POOR COUNTRY

Image
by GARY MONDULAME Papua New Guinea (PNG), a nation blessed with abundant natural resources, continues to grapple with economic challenges that belie its potential wealth. The nation's economic narrative is a paradox—rich in resources yet burdened by poverty. The explanation for this paradox lies not only in economic mismanagement but also in deep-seated corruption that has permeated the political landscape since independence in 1975. Following its independence from Australia, PNG was entrusted to leaders who lacked a vision for a holistic national development. This absence of foresight is evident from the lack of long-term development plans that could have distributed the country’s wealth fairly across all regions and communities. Successive governments failed to establish foundational strategies such as building satellite townships or creating robust rural housing schemes. Instead, they resorted to short-term, reactive measures that did not foster sustainable growth. The nascent l
Read more

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND, WHY THE PNG ECONOMY STILL SUCKS

Image
Elizabeth Genia, Acting Governor Bank of PNG (BPNG) by MICHAEL JOSEPH PASSINGAN The economy of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is at a crucial juncture. Despite some signs of recovery, the country faces several structural challenges that continue to impede its economic progress. The March 2024 Monetary Policy Statement from the Bank of Papua New Guinea sheds light on these issues, providing a comprehensive overview of the economic landscape and the policy responses being implemented to navigate through these turbulent times. In 2023, PNG's economy grew by a modest 1.4%, a significant slowdown from the 5.2% growth witnessed in 2022. This tepid growth is largely attributed to delays in major projects and ongoing economic issues that have not been fully resolved. The anticipated growth for 2024 is around 3.0%, buoyed by the resumption of production at the Porgera gold mine. While this marks an improvement, it remains subdued compared to the potential of this resource-rich nation. One of the mo
Read more

James Marape's Missteps Openly Exposed at Australian Forum

Image
by  MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN  In a recent event that highlighted the complexities of international diplomacy and governance, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, James Marape, faced a challenging situation during his appearance at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia. The Lowy Institute, known for its role as an independent think tank focusing on international policy, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, provided a platform for a candid assessment of Marape's governance. Following his formal address, Marape engaged in a dialogue with Dr. Michael Fullilove AM, the Executive Director of the Institute. Dr. Fullilove, a respected figure in public and international policy, scrutinized Marape's past promises and statements, contrasting them with the current state of affairs in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The discussion took a critical turn as Dr. Fullilove revisited Marape's 2019 speech at the same venue, where Marape had outlined his vision for PNG in a speech titled “A New Boo
Read more

A Call for Local Ownership and Fairness

Image
by JUSTIN PARKER In recent discussions surrounding the establishment of a gold refinery in Papua New Guinea (PNG), concerns have been raised regarding various aspects of the proposed project. Spearheaded by foreign investors, the initiative has sparked debates over ownership, exclusivity, tax concessions, underwriting, management rights, control over currency, legal protections, and historical failures. These concerns, if unaddressed, could potentially undermine the interests of PNG and its people, particularly the hardworking alluvial miners who form the backbone of the nation's mining sector. At the heart of the issue lies the question of ownership. The proposed ownership structure, favoring foreign investors with a substantial 70% stake, raises eyebrows, especially considering PNG's past experiences with failed ventures like seabed mining. Instead of ceding majority control to foreign entities, many argue that PNG should assert full ownership over the refinery. With the coun
Read more

MARAPE & PAITA ABOUT TO SIGN AWAY PNG GOLD

Image
By: Andrew Arthur Prime Minister Hon. James Marape and his planning minister Reinbo Paita are the parties behind the theft of all Papua New Guinea’s gold for the next 100 years! They have given approval for the STATE of Papua New Guinea to sign away all gold rights to an Australian paper company in Refinery Holdings PTE LTD. First, they have done the deal with a paper company even before there is a LAW that says they have the right to do the deal. We see how the real manipulation works out. Marape and Paita now need to get the law passed by Parliament. The law is before the Parliament to set up Papua New Guinea’s first National Gold Corporation. The National Gold Corporation Bill first surfaced in 2012 but successive Government of Sir Michael Somare and Hon. Peter O’Neill, in their wisdom, had refused to pass this Bill as there have been some sinister motives and constitutional issues associated with the Bill. The new bill will allow Refinery Holdings LTD PTE to own 70% of the National
Read more