Act for Peace Opposes Foreign Aid Cuts
10/02/2011 3:00:36 PM
Act for Peace has joined the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and Australian aid and development NGOs in condemning the Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s proposal to cut foreign aid as part of the Coalition’s alternative to the Government’s proposed flood levy.
Act for Peace Executive Director, Alistair Gee, said, “The proposed $448 million cut in spending for important education initiatives in Indonesia would seriously undermine efforts to reduce poverty and inequality there.
“Currently Australia’s foreign aid is only 30¢ in every $100 of our income. Cutting this 30¢ rather than the $99.70 does not make sense, especially as much of this 30¢ goes to assisting the victims of disaster and conflict,” he said.
Marc Purcell, Executive Director of ACFID, concluded, “Given Australia’s strong economic position in comparison to other nations, there seems little justification for deferring our promises to developing countries.”
