Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion that is not only ill-conceived but that is straight-out deceitful.

The very act of raising this motion is a classic and particularly repugnant display of Labor amnesia—something that the opposition has embraced without reservation since being shown the door by the Australian people on 7 September last year. The piece de resistance is Labor's hijacking. They did not want to talk about the hijacking of foreign aid—particularly the budget—when they were in office. They had a very nice little term for it: they called it 'reprioritisation'. Yes, that is what it was called: 'reprioritisation' of $750 million from the aid budget to pay for the onshore costs of their failed border protection policies, something that we have never ever seen the like of before in Australia's history. Now, notwithstanding this travesty, Labor members have the audacity to stand and speak in support of the motion here today.

Of course, there was the $3 billion in diverted aid funding to buy a seat on the United Nations Security Council, with staggering—absolutely staggering—expenditures of $65 million on a telescope in the Chilean desert and $150,000 for a statue in New York to commemorate slavery in the Caribbean. These are things that I have spoken about before in the past in this House. These expenditures are truly difficult to justify when you look at our region, particularly at the infection rates of TB, malaria and HIV-AIDS in our own region and at our own back door. This expenditure becomes shameful when you look at the rates of maternal and infant mortality in the Asia-Pacific region. You really have to wonder exactly what criteria Labor was using in applying Australia's aid budget and making sure that the aid budget was well spent.

By way of contrast, the Abbott government is focused on the expenditure of Australian taxpayer dollars through our foreign aid budget being effective. 'Effective' is a very important word. Being effective in the expenditure of Australian taxpayers' dollars is not something that Labor excel at. What they do excel at is spending it. Again by way of contrast, the Abbott government is committed to an aid program that will help alleviate poverty and lift the living standards of vulnerable people through economic growth. We recognise that sustainable economic growth is the best way in the world to alleviate poverty. This is at the heart of the approach we are taking to aid.

Our approach to prioritising economic growth to alleviate poverty has been endorsed by Erik Solheim, the Chairman of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee. Writing in The Australian on 17 January this year he said the government and Foreign Minister Bishop should be applauded for focusing on the importance of economic development. 'Development assistance is good, but economic growth is even better,' he said. As announced before the election, the Abbott government is refocusing our aid, trade and diplomatic efforts in our region, where our national interest is and where we have, and have always had, the most capacity to make a real difference.

As was the case in 1996, the coalition government has been left an economic mess by Labor. MYEFO highlighted the extent of Labor's economic legacy: a $47 billion deficit this year, $123 billion in cumulative deficits over the forward estimates and gross debt projected to rise to $667 billion. Labor's legacy was also a mess in the aid budget. They broke their own promise to increase the aid program to 0.5 per cent of gross national income on three separate occasions. Members opposite do not like to be reminded of that, but the hypocrisy does not end there. In the last 15 months of the Labor government they cut $5.7 billion from the aid budget over the forward estimates. Labor never took their cuts to an election. By contrast, this government made clear before the election its policy of saving $4.5 billion from the aid budget over the forward estimates. The coalition has a mandate to implement its policy decisions.

We make no apologies for taking these hard decisions to claw back Labor's debt and deficit. That is what the Australian people voted for in the election. We are delivering on what the government refused to do. We want to implement rigorous performance benchmarks for the aid program, as recommended in the aid effectiveness review. The Abbott government is cleaning up the mess Labor left domestically and internationally. Part of that job is to have a great aid program. (Time expired)

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