Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 18 September 2012 I met with representatives from Micah Challenge, two of whom were from my electorate of Banks. This is a regular visit, made on an annual basis, to keep parliamentarians up to date with Australia's progress against the Millennium Development Goals. I am aware that many of my colleagues regularly participate in similar meetings. I am always struck by the deep commitment and passion of these representatives to reducing poverty globally. For the most part, these young people work the system to keep politicians up to the mark and to hold the parliament accountable. This is as it should be.

Members would be aware that Australia was one of the 189 countries to adopt the Millennium Declaration and commit to the Millennium Development Goals in 2000. The eight Millennium Development Goals are a shared world vision for reducing poverty. These include halving extreme poverty, getting all children into school, closing the gap on gender inequality, saving lives lost to disease and a lack of available health care, and protecting the environment. These are achievable commitments to improve the wellbeing of the world's poorest people.

These goals underpin Australia's aid program. This year in our meeting we spoke about 'Finishing the Race', which is the core of Micah Challenge's program for the current year. On their website, Micah Challenge, in describing the organisation, say:

Working for justice cannot be left to the politicians and professional lobbyists. It requires long-term effort from all parts of the community working together to speak up.

I agree wholeheartedly. Justice should not just be left to politicians or professional lobbyists—the whole community has a role. I admire those who are part of the Micah Challenge because they not only talk the talk; they walk the walk. They do more than say, as many do, 'something should be done'. They go out there and take action. They work to ensure that the community is aware of the extent of poverty and the manner in which it can be halved. I have great esteem for the organisation and the membership. The representatives I met outlined specific actions they requested I take in the coming year. They were politely insistent, and I have no problem with that. As a result, I am speaking tonight, have put information up on my website and have committed to attend an event in my electorate.

One has to ask why so many people are so passionate about this. The answer is very simple: the story of poverty in the world is truly appalling. This has been accentuated in recent years by the global financial crisis, and tens of thousands of additional children will die each year in the next five or six years before we reach the target.

This is one of the few issues that is genuinely bipartisan, and I am pleased to acknowledge that. Since 2007, members of all parties have made themselves available to receive our visitors. On 22 June, Prime Minister Gillard announced a $97 million Civil Society Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Fund to work with NGOs doing high-quality water and sanitation projects in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. The new funding builds on the initial $32.6 million program, which was completed in March 2012. The $97 million in funding will support around 40 water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives in 20 countries, teaming up AusAID and non-government organisations with proven records in this area. The program's many successes include delivering access to safe water to more than 560,000 people and helping 780,000 people gain basic sanitation in Bangladesh, Kenya, Mozambique and Vietnam, among others.

It is rewarding to see—and I know that every member of parliament would agree with me—that our communities, particularly young people, do not let us forget the parliament's commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.