Ministries

Caritas commends Federal Budget, but anxious to ensure the poorest are remembered

Caritas Australia commends the Gillard Government for tonight endorsing the Australian public’s commitment to the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Tonight’s federal budget – which will see Australia’s Official Development Assistance increase to 0.35 percent of Gross National Income in 2012/13 - reaffirms Australia’s bipartisan commitment to ensure to 0.5 percent of GNI reaches the world’s poorest by 2015.

Caritas Australia’s CEO, Jack de Groot said: “In a tough economic climate, we welcome the Government’s continued support for the most vulnerable people in our international community.

“It’s encouraging that this budget not only upholds Australia’s commitment to the Millennium Declaration, but also reaffirms the social contract between our government and Australian public who so compassionate support our international aid program.

“The responsible increase of aid and development spending, announced tonight, will see Australia increase the delivery of life-saving development initiatives in some of the world’s least developed countries. When the Government is in belt-tightening mode, Caritas Australia welcomes AusAID’s commitment to prioritise the poorest of the poor.”

In 2012/13 Australia’s Official Development Assistance is set to increase to $4.8 billion, ranking Australia’s aid budget at just 14 out of 23 OECD countries. And whilst the Government is moving at a steady pace towards achieving 0.5 GNI/ODA ratio by 2015, there remains a real and pressing need to ensure human dignity and the protection of rights in the poorest communities today.

“In prioritising health, education and economic development across our neighbouring Asia-Pacific region and in Africa, this year’s budget will make strides towards achieving those Millennium Development Goals which continue to elude these highly vulnerable communities.

“But for those whose human dignity is threatened by persistence of HIV and AIDS, by the impacts of climate change, by the challenge of disability, and by the terror of conflict – our compassion, our immediate response and our long-term commitment is vital.

“Tonight we welcome the Government’s increased commitment to Australian NGOs - whose demonstrated effectiveness at the grassroots is critical to authentic human development – and we welcome this budget’s provisions for the very poorest communities.

“But as the Australian public looks to its leaders to ensure the alleviation of extreme and debilitating global poverty in the next four years, Caritas Australia is anxious to ensure the world’s poorest aren’t left behind as we await Australia’s return to surplus.”

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Will Graham's Sydney breakfast: “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oi, Oi, Oi"

The call rang out into the chilly Sydney morning as a group of congenial Australians taught a visiting American their..