Last night the Labor Government broke its election promise to increase aid to 0.5% of gross national income by 2015. A huge breach of trust and a broken promise - but without our supporters, it could have been even worse. Send a message to the Coalition asking them to keep their commitment to aid today!
They have cut $2.7 billion from the program over the next few years and delayed the 0.5% target by a year. In the process they gained a budget surplus, but lost our trust.
You made a difference.
When we first heard about the potential aid cuts, there were rumours the government was planning to defer their commitment by up to five years or, worse still, abandon it altogether.
But after an intense online, media and email campaign from supporters of ActionAid Australia and other organisations including GetUp! and The Oaktree Foundation, we heard Bob Carr intervened to save face.
We may have lost $2.7 billion from the aid program over coming years and had a year’s delay to the 0.5% aid target being reached, but without your show of support, it could have been much worse.
And now there’s another challenge. The coalition looks set to break its commitment to the 0.5% target by 2015 as well. And if the polls are correct, the coalition is likely to take government in the next election.
We have an opportunity right now to flood the shadow Foreign Minister Julie Bishop with messages asking her to keep the coalition’s commitment. She is a long standing supporter of the aid program and has stood up against aid cuts in the past. Let’s help her do so again.
Send a message to Julie Bishop asking her to keep the coalition’s commitment to aid now! Email Julie.Bishop.MP@aph.gov.auThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and let her know you expect her to succeed where the government has failed.
