Majority of Australians disagree with cutting aid budget while funding big business tax cuts

National polling released today shows 60 per cent of Australians believe the federal government should not cut foreign aid to fund tax cuts for big businesses.

Less than a quarter of Australians thought foreign aid should be cut to fund the big business tax cuts.

Nigel Spence, CEO of ChildFund Australia, an international development organisation that works to reduce poverty for children in the world’s most disadvantaged communities, said:

“With the federal budget being finalised for next week, we urge the government to act in line with the views of the majority of Australians by ruling out rumoured plans to cut the aid budget at a time when tax cuts are being proposed for big business.

“Our work is supported by over 50,000 individual Australians who care deeply about the wellbeing and safety of marginalised children around the world, particularly in the Asia Pacific region.

“I’ve recently returned from Laos, where ChildFund’s programs benefit from Australian government support. Our work is focused on reducing the high levels of child malnutrition, providing access to education and clean water, and lowering maternal and child mortality rates.

“Further Australian aid cuts would have a direct human cost to communities in Laos, and other countries with high levels of disadvantage. For too many children in our region, it would make finding a path out of poverty almost impossible.

“Australian aid not only improves conditions for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable children and families, but it serves Australia’s interests by fostering economic growth in the region, creating new markets, building human capital and reducing the risks of conflict and displacement.

“With our aid budget now at its lowest level in history, we urge the Australian Government to reconsider further reductions. Australian aid is such an important and vital strategic asset – not only in reducing poverty for impoverished communities, but in increasing the prosperity and security of Australians at home.”

ChildFund Australia is deeply disappointed to learn that the Australian Government is considering yet another cut to the Australian aid program – at a time when we are already the least generous we have ever been in history.

ChildFund CEO Nigel Spence said: “Our overseas development budget has once again been viewed as disposable, and fails to recognise that the Australian Aid program is one of our most important and strategic assets.

“Australian aid not only improves conditions for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable children and families, but it serves Australia’s interests by fostering economic growth in the region, creating new markets, building human capital and reducing the risks of conflict and displacement.”

The rumoured aid cuts come only days after the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published its review of Australia’s aid program, where it was critical of declining budget levels, despite Australia experiencing ongoing and steady economic growth for over two decades.

The OECD warned that this trend must be reversed, stating that it is impairing our development efforts in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr Spence added: “We are living in a period of heightened global uncertainty – a time of worsening conditions for vulnerable children around the globe. These aid cuts will have a direct human cost. For children and young people, it will mean that their access to opportunity, and a way of out poverty, will be further challenged.

“With the cuts rumoured to be funding company tax reductions, this really is a case of taking money from the world’s poorest children, who have urgent needs, to benefit wealthy corporations.”