Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the:

(a) importance of the Australian aid program to sustainable economic and social development and poverty alleviation for Pacific nations;

(b) contribution of the Australian aid program to Australia's national interests through support for regional stability, security and prosperity;

(c) Foreign Minister's verbal commitment to not cut Australian development assistance to Pacific nations; and

(d) announcement by the Foreign Minister on 18 January 2014 that $650 million will be cut from Australia's development assistance in 2013-14, including $61.4 million cuts to the following Pacific country and regional programs:

(2) calls on the:

(a) Foreign minister to meet her commitment to not cut Australian development assistance to Pacific nations; and

(b) Government to reverse its $4.5 billion in cuts to Australia’s aid program and reinstate funding to levels published in the 2013-14 budget.

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