Senator BARNETT (3:39 PM) —I, and also on behalf of Senators Chapman, Stephens and Polley, move:

   That the Senate—

(a)   recognises:

(i)   the extent and gravity of world poverty and the urgency of tackling this situation,

(ii)   that the most impoverished countries cannot escape the cycle of poverty without assistance, and

(iii)   that two-thirds of the world’s poor are actually in Asia, (rather than Africa);

(b)   acknowledges recent efforts by the Australian Government including increases in the Australian overseas aid budget and special support for those in need following the December 2004 tsunami;

(c)   supports the Millennium Development Goals agreed to by the Australian and other governments in 2000 which specifically included a set of eight goals to be achieved by 2015 as follows:

(i)   halve extreme poverty and hunger,

(ii)   achieve universal primary education,

(iii)   promote gender equality and empower women in all levels of education,

(iv)   reduce child mortality by two-thirds,

(v)   reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters,

(vi)   halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases,

(vii)   ensure environmental sustainability by:

(a)   integrating the principles of sustainable development into country policies,

(b)   reversing the loss of environmental resources,

(c)   halving the proportion of people without access to clean water or adequate sanitation, and

(d)   significantly improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020, and

(viii)   develop a global partnership for development based on fairer international trade, financial and governance systems; and

(d)   urges the Australian Government to recommit itself to the achievement of those goals.

I seek leave to make some remarks with regard to the motion.

Leave granted.

Senator BARNETT —I will be brief in light of the time arrangements. I wish to speak in favour of the motion and thank the Senate for their support of it. I acknowledge in particular the work of the Micah Challenge and the Make Poverty History effort, supporters like World Vision and Opportunity International and the host of other non-government organisations that are supporting this particular motion and the efforts to make poverty history, and the support from the Australian government for the Millennium Development Goals, which is set out very clearly in the motion.

Overseas development aid must be carefully targeted, especially in our region. As is indicated in the motion, two-thirds of the world’s poor are in our region. According to the World Bank, 712 million people in Asia and 314 million people in Africa live on less than one American dollar per day. In my view, conditions should be attached to ensure corrupt regimes do not benefit. In addition, conditions with respect to better governance outcomes are justified. Free, freer and fairer trade have a huge part to play in advancing the cause.

At the moment our Australian development budget is costed at $2.5 billion or thereabouts. That equates to about one loaf of bread a week for the world’s poor. It is my view that perhaps we can dig a little bit deeper and do even better than that. I would like consideration to be given to making it two loaves of bread per week. Over time I think we can attain that investment, and it will be for a very good reason, as set out in the motion.