Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and Pacific Island Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the commendable work of two outstanding organisations—Micah Australia and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria—and their tremendous contribution in serving communities both here in Australia and across our region. I've had many years working with Micah Australia.

I recently had the privilege to meet with the Micah Women Leaders Delegation in Parliament House, and can I say they were very impressive and very passionate. These advocates set a compelling agenda centred on the modern case for Australian aid, grounded in the values of compassion and global responsibility. The delegation highlighted how effective aid fosters not only prevention but also, very importantly, stability. It also bolsters security, aligning with Australia's strategic interests in the region. Their key priorities include building broad bipartisan support for aid, advocating for its restoration to one per cent of the federal budget, and advancing an urgent humanitarian package for Myanmar. We have the Minister for International Development in the Chamber, and I'm sure she will look at that very closely and compassionately, as Myanmar is facing a very large humanitarian emergency.

Micah's Safer World for All campaign—I must say that, when they first said it to me, I though it was 'safer world for oil', but it's actually Safer World for All, and I had to clarify that with them—reminds us that aid is not a charity; it's a strategic investment in peace, stability and prosperity. The work underscores the strong public support for aid, reflecting the values of compassion and solidarity that define us as a nation.

In another significant engagement, I had the honour of meeting Lady Roslyn Morauta, chair of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. She briefed me on Australia's impactful partnership with the global fund, particularly in the pivotal role of pandemic preparedness. Australia stands as one of the most valued and longstanding partners of the global fund in the Pacific region. It's great to have the member for Riverina here today; he's a former shadow minister for the Pacific. With Australia's support, the global fund has saved an astonishing 26.4 million lives in the Indo-Pacific, including 210,000 lives in the Pacific alone. Over two decades, every dollar Australia has contributed to the global fund has returned over US$13 in value to our priority countries. That is not just good policy but exceptional value for money, and any government would be very proud of that.

Both Micah Australia and the global fund exemplify how thoughtful partnerships and sustained aid investment can promote a safer, healthier, more secure world for all Australians and our region. I thank Micah Australia and the global fund for their leadership and look forward to working with them in the future. As I said before, I recommend that the minister look closely at the Myanmar funding.

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