Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Evans for the question. It is certainly a very important matter that he raised. Opium cultivation and trafficking in Afghanistan is of course a major threat to the future stability and security of the country. That is why we take a very serious view of it. Australia does support the Afghanistan government’s national drug control strategy and efforts to curtail the narcotics industry.

At the London conference for the signing of the Afghanistan compact on 30 January this year, Mr Downer committed Australia to spending up to $150 million over five years, subject to the Afghan government’s performance against benchmarks contained in the compact. Counter-narcotics is a priority issue of the Afghanistan compact and an important component of Australia’s continuing development assistance to Afghanistan.

I should say on behalf of the minister that Australia is currently providing $4.5 million in direct support of counter-narcotic efforts in Afghanistan and this includes $2 billion to the UNDP Counter-Narcotics Trust Fund to support alternative livelihoods, which of course is a critical issue if you are trying to look at stemming narcotics in Afghanistan, and another $2 million in joint funding with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research to improve wheat and maize productivity to provide alternative economic livelihoods. So it is a matter that this government takes very seriously. I am aware that Mr Downer has taken a very particular interest in this, as evidenced by his participation at the London conference and Australia’s support for looking for alternatives to this pernicious trade.