Stop the Clock – Funding for Australian Aid

Leaders from a number of Christian denominations have written to the Federal Treasurer, Mr Scott Morrison, ahead of this month’s budget (to be presented on 3 May), urging that he scrap the planned cuts to Australia’s aid budget – cuts that will see Australia become the least generous we’ve ever been.

“These cuts damage and undermine programs which have a direct impact on the lives, livelihoods, security and opportunity of many of our region’s poorest and most vulnerable people and communities, including women and girls and people with disability”.

The letter sets out the significant things achieved in the last year through Australian Aid, including:

• vaccinating more than 2.8 million children,
• ensuring over 2.2 million more people gained access to safe drinking water, and more than 800,000 people gained access to basic sanitation,
• ensuring treatment for more than 1.5 million people with HIV/AIDS and more than 1.3 million people with tuberculosis,
• distributing more than 130 million treated bed nets to fight malaria, and
• responding to humanitarian crises and natural disasters in 15 countries (including Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu and the major earthquake in Nepal).

The full letter can be found here

The “shortened letter” / advertisement is on the Campaign for Australian Aid website: www.facebook.com/campaignforaustralianaid