The Abbott Government has yet again slashed Australias foreign aid budget to fix its Budget mess.
The $3.7 billion cut from foreign aid in todays Budget update will take aid to its lowest level as a proportion of national income in 40 years.
When the Abbott Government needs to find money they dont go after tax-evading multinational corporations, they go after the worlds poor, Acting Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong said.
Julie Bishop has yet again broken her promise to protect Australias aid program - either she doesnt care, or she has lost control of her own portfolio.
If Julie Bishop believes, as she says, that the flagship of our foreign policy is our aid program then she should stop trying to sink it.
Where these cuts will fall is not clear, but $1 billion per year is the equivalent of cutting our entire country aid programs to our largest recipients, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
These short-sighted cuts undermine our national interest and our regional stability.
$3.7 billion in foreign aid could:

• Teach 12 million people to read and write;
• Provide 740 million lifesaving Malaria treatments;
• Deliver antiretroviral treatment for 23.4 million people with HIV/AIDS for a year; or
• Train 1.5 million new midwives in developing countries.

Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite said the Liberals cuts contrast with Labors proud history of growth to foreign aid, nearly doubling the aid program during its time in office.
Australia has a long history of working throughout the world to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and enhance stability but these shameful cuts put that record in jeopardy.The Abbott Government has chosen to inflict pain on the worlds poorest people by cutting Australias foreign aid budget by a further $3.7 billion.
Foreign aid has been slashed at each of the three budget updates since Tony Abbott came to government.