National Interest

Courtesy of New Zealand Electronic Text Centre - nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-GriWom2-c3.html

AusAID’s primary objective is To assist developing countries to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development, in line with Australia’s national interest. [1].

Promoting Australia’s national interest in aid undermines the objective of poverty alleviation. Australia’s strategic interests often divert aid from regional development priorities to countering regional ‘security threats’ through particular good governance programs, law and order and military assistance. Focusing on the national interest means that the more altruistic intentions of Australian aid can easily be subverted by business and politics.

• The former Australian Wheat Board director, Trevor Flugge, received an AusAID contract in 2003 to the value of almost $700 000 to promote Australian wheat exports to Iraq instead of providing genuine advice on issues of food security and agricultural reform. Then Prime Minister, John Howard, stated in Parliament that “our principle concern was to stop American Wheat growers from getting our markets. We thought Mr Flugge would fight hard for the Australian wheat industry.”

Australian government aid by sector – 2008-11

Further information:

What is Aid - A brief history of Aid – Colonialism

What is Aid – What are Aid priorities

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Last updated 12 November 2010

[1] AUSTRALIA’S INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - budget statement, Stephen Smith and Bob McMullen, 2010, p106, [Enphasis added]