Commercial Aid In Australia

Aid is an important part of our world that helps to improve and benefit the lives of others. Aid is financial or physical support from countries or public organisations to other states that are in times of need. While Aid is most often perceived as help to regions that have suffered from natural disasters, it comes in many forms. Aid is also not often provided because of good will and generosity from countries, it is used strategically to benefit both receiving and providing parties. Financial support form Australia has changed over time, and now heading towards an all time low. Without aid, rehabilitation of countries would be a much harder, strenuous process. Australia alone have helped to “cut global poverty by 50 percent in the last 10 years”- OXFAM. Providing resources and money to countries in need is essential for an ever evolving and expanding world.
There are many types and forms of aid that are provided by the Australian Government.
Bilateral, or conditional aid is where one country donates resources to the other with conditions attached. This was most recently seen in Britain’s controversial Pergau Dam Project in Malaysia where the aid was only emplaced if Malaysia secured trade details. Threatening to slash aid is very common and a major complication of the Bali 9 Death Penalty. Australia intended to enforce “savage cuts” to aid in Indonesia if the Bali 9 were executed. Charitable aid is funded through the public and is sourced by non-government organisations. There is also long term aid which is humanitarian projects, such as providing ongoing education, governance, clean water or healthcare. Multilateral aid is sourced through international organisations and is a combination of financial aid from multiple countries. Aid is used to benefit countries and regions in
need.

The United Nations suggests wealthy countries to supply 0.7 percent of GDP. However, Australia falls short of this with only 0.32 percent and future plans to further cut the aid budget. Australia’s budget for aid has never been to the United Nations standards and has only been decreasing since 1954. 1954 was also the first time Australia graphed its generosity. The highest all time rate of aid in Australia was 0.57 percent in 1973, this rate later dramatically dropped to 0.23 in 2002 and has recently been raised to 0.32. Currently, each Australian taxpayer contributes roughly 0.08c per week to Australia’s aid program. While 0.32 percent is an increase, it still falls dramatically low of the set requirements. Further, future plans will continue to see a decease of budget allocated to aid. 2017 is set to see an all time low at a devastating 2.1 percent, i.e. 21 cents in every $100 of national income. This falling percent is mainly due to the lack of votes won in aid, the misconceptions about Australia’s aid budget, the voiceless victim and the other purposes for the money that can be spent on home soil. A poll was released in May 2015, displaying that 80 percent of voters who want budget cuts believe that foreign aid spending should be minimalized, this is agreed with by 56% of Green’s voters. Despite only 0.32 percent of Australia’s budget is allocated to aid, a survey released displayed that the average Australian believes it’s budget is 16%. To add to this, over 50 percent or those surveyed suggested reducing the aid budget to 12%, this is 37.5 times the actual amount. Many believe that our nation should improve itself before others, this is agreed with by Joe Hockey who reported that cuts towards foreign aid will “fund essential infrastructure [in] Australia”. Through time, the distribution of aid has also changed. The spread of aid is now more strategic then ever before. Australia spends most of their aid in the pacific for close proximity peace. While establishing school is Indonesia promotes education, ABC reported it could helps stop teens from radicalisation. This self benefit is also seen in Papua New Gunnie, health care centres prevents Australia’s “genuine concern”-Charlie Pickering of diseases such as TB travelling far north. Additionally, Australia is the 3rd biggest recipient of its own foreign aid budget, with spending towards the military and Asylum Seeker processing. Aid is strategically emplaced so that Australia benefits from the improvements made in other countries.

Aid comes in various forms, has been decreasing since 1954 and is strategically used to benefit Australia. Aid is essential to the worlds expansion and man kinds survival.