27/8/13 - The Future of Australian Aid (US$5.6b): 5 Issues Where the Election Matters: "In a little under two weeks, Australians head to the polls to elect a new government. Tony Abbott is strongly favored to return the Coalition — a center-right political alliance — to power after six years. Despite early signs of a tight contest, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Labor government is still running behind in the opinion surveys. Rudd reclaimed the post of prime minister in June after wresting the leadership of the Labor Party from Julia Gillard, who had ousted him from office back in 2010. Dominated by hot-button economic issues as well as concerns over asylum seekers, the bitterly divisive campaign for Australia’s next government has deeply polarized the electorate. On the future, however, of Australia’s AU$5.7 billion ($5.6 billion) billion foreign aid program, the two sides have found considerable common ground. Most notably, both Labor and the Coalition have pledged to continue growing Australia’s aid program — and also maintain its focus on Asia-Pacific. Australia has been one of a handful of donors that have significantly increased aid spending in spite of the global financial crisis. Both parties have likewise given their backing to the Australian Agency for International Development’s drive for aid effectiveness and value-for-money, and also committed to ministerial representation for the aid and development portfolio. In July, Rudd appointed Australia’s first aid minister in 17 years. However, Labor and the Coalition don’t see eye-to-eye on a number of issues critical to the direction of Australian aid......."
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 03:08:05 +0000
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