Australia stops giving millions of taxpayer dollars to shore up Pakistan’s water security while our farmers endure crippling drought – but the money will go to Pacific nations instead
- Last year Australia spent $39.2million of taxpayer cash on aid to Pakistan
- Next year that figure will fall to $19million and then to zero by 2020-21
- The money will instead go towards nations closer to Australia in the Pacific
The government is scrapping aid for Pakistan to help Pacific countries instead.
Last year Australia spent $39.2million of taxpayer cash on various programs to help the country’s women and girls as well its water and food security.
Next year that figure will fall to $19million and to zero by 2020-21, according to the aid program performance report.
The report says that aid to Pakistan will continue through DFAT’s regionally and globally funded programs, including Australia Awards scholarships.
The government is scrapping aid for Pakistan to help Pacific countries instead. Pictured: A flood affected girl carries bottles of drinking water in a camp in Nowshera, Pakistan in 2010
The money will instead go towards nations closer to Australia.
‘The Australian Government’s development priorities have changed. Aid funding is being redirected to meet new commitments in the Pacific,’ the report says.
Liberal MP Dave Sharma said the decision was difficult but the Pacific nations are more important to Australia.
‘We always need to make decisions with the aid program. Ultimately the money comes from taxpayers in Australia and we always need to make difficult decisions about where the relative priorities are,’ he told ABC news this morning.
‘We have to make decisions about having the biggest impact and where Australia is the most active donor and the most important part of the world for Australia and where we are seen as the most important donor is our own region, the South Pacific.’
It comes amid growing calls from drought-ravaged farmers in Australia for the government to spend more on helping them through unusually tough conditions.
The Warragamba Dam in Sydney is low as Australia struggles with crippling drought