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| Julie Bishop to investigate leak claiming further cuts to foreign aid in budget | Julie Bishop to investigate leak claiming further cuts to foreign aid in budget |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The foreign minister, Julie Bishop, will investigate the source of a leak foreshadowing further cuts to foreign aid in the budget. | The foreign minister, Julie Bishop, will investigate the source of a leak foreshadowing further cuts to foreign aid in the budget. |
| About $11bn has been already been slashed from the foreign aid budget, and an article in the Australian on Monday said funding would be cut again in this year’s budget. | About $11bn has been already been slashed from the foreign aid budget, and an article in the Australian on Monday said funding would be cut again in this year’s budget. |
| “I’m not aware of that detail. I read that for the first time in Greg Sheridan’s column today,” Bishop told ABC Radio. | “I’m not aware of that detail. I read that for the first time in Greg Sheridan’s column today,” Bishop told ABC Radio. |
| When asked if she had been informed of the cuts to her portfolio, Bishop answered: “You could hope so, wouldn’t you?” | When asked if she had been informed of the cuts to her portfolio, Bishop answered: “You could hope so, wouldn’t you?” |
| “I’ll certainly be taking that up with the treasurer [Joe Hockey] on the source of that story.” | “I’ll certainly be taking that up with the treasurer [Joe Hockey] on the source of that story.” |
| Bishop appeared to express disdain during Hockey’s condolence speech on the passing of Malcolm Fraser, rolling her eyes and clutching her forehead when the treasurer mentioned the expenditure review committee (ERC). The ERC is responsible for ticking off revenue and savings measures in the budget. | Bishop appeared to express disdain during Hockey’s condolence speech on the passing of Malcolm Fraser, rolling her eyes and clutching her forehead when the treasurer mentioned the expenditure review committee (ERC). The ERC is responsible for ticking off revenue and savings measures in the budget. |
| Labor’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, Tanya Plibersek, said Bishop’s “spectacular failure to keep a poker face” showed that cuts had been inflicted in her portfolio area “without consultation or without her agreement”. | |
| “I think that the foreign aid budget doesn’t have the support of many members of the government, and that the foreign minister is powerless to stop the cuts that have already happened and further cuts that have been leaked today,” Plibersek said.Bishop was not the only one caught off guard by the story, with finance minister Mathias Cormann telling Sky News the news of the cuts “came as a surprise to me”. | |
| The leader of opposition business, Tony Burke, said he was surprised to hear that Bishop did not know about potential aid cuts. | |
| “I thought she had flagged, only a few weeks ago, that further cuts were a possibility?” Burke asked reporters. | “I thought she had flagged, only a few weeks ago, that further cuts were a possibility?” Burke asked reporters. |
| Bishop strongly pushed back against earlier claims that the government would raid the foreign aid budget in the lead-up to the next budget. | Bishop strongly pushed back against earlier claims that the government would raid the foreign aid budget in the lead-up to the next budget. |
| The head of NGO World Vision, Tim Costello, said reports of further aid cuts were “worrying”. | The head of NGO World Vision, Tim Costello, said reports of further aid cuts were “worrying”. |
| “We’ve already seen $11bn slashed from the program last year and our aid is now at its least generous level in history,” he said. | “We’ve already seen $11bn slashed from the program last year and our aid is now at its least generous level in history,” he said. |
| Bishop on Monday morning announced a new initiative which aims to link business innovation with foreign aid delivery. | Bishop on Monday morning announced a new initiative which aims to link business innovation with foreign aid delivery. |
| The $140m InnovationXchange will be funded through the existing the aid budget, and will use international partnerships to draw on private sector expertise in aid delivery and policy formation. | The $140m InnovationXchange will be funded through the existing the aid budget, and will use international partnerships to draw on private sector expertise in aid delivery and policy formation. |
| Costello said the initiative is part of a global push to include the private sector in foreign aid delivery. He has welcomed the announcement, but wants long-term funding certainty for the sector. | Costello said the initiative is part of a global push to include the private sector in foreign aid delivery. He has welcomed the announcement, but wants long-term funding certainty for the sector. |
| “The government’s innovation hub puts forward a compelling case to maintain Australia’s aid budget at current levels, or indeed to increase it, so it would be utterly bizarre to see more funds removed at this time. It’s a matter of simple logic – good ideas need money to be realised,” he said. | “The government’s innovation hub puts forward a compelling case to maintain Australia’s aid budget at current levels, or indeed to increase it, so it would be utterly bizarre to see more funds removed at this time. It’s a matter of simple logic – good ideas need money to be realised,” he said. |
| InnovationXchange’s first project is to help vulnerable countries collect health data like causes of death and birth rate. | InnovationXchange’s first project is to help vulnerable countries collect health data like causes of death and birth rate. |
| Australia will put $US15m towards the project, and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg will add another $US85m through his philanthropic organisation. | Australia will put $US15m towards the project, and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg will add another $US85m through his philanthropic organisation. |
| Bishop has also announced the formation of an international reference group to complement InnovationXchange. | Bishop has also announced the formation of an international reference group to complement InnovationXchange. |
| The committee will be chaired by former World Bank chief Chris Vein for the first two months. Other members include Bloomberg, president of the Australian Council for International Development Sam Mostyn, media mogul Ryan Stokes, Mastercard US executive Tara Nathan and climate sceptic Bjørn Lomborg. | The committee will be chaired by former World Bank chief Chris Vein for the first two months. Other members include Bloomberg, president of the Australian Council for International Development Sam Mostyn, media mogul Ryan Stokes, Mastercard US executive Tara Nathan and climate sceptic Bjørn Lomborg. |
| “We want there to be an exchange of views and ideas and come up with innovative creative thinking, and that’s why you have some of the brightest minds on the advisory group who will be helping us with the challenges in the aid program,” Bishop told Sky News. | “We want there to be an exchange of views and ideas and come up with innovative creative thinking, and that’s why you have some of the brightest minds on the advisory group who will be helping us with the challenges in the aid program,” Bishop told Sky News. |
| “We’re looking for a whole range of ideas, not this Stalinist groupthink that the Labor party believes should be dictating public policy.” | “We’re looking for a whole range of ideas, not this Stalinist groupthink that the Labor party believes should be dictating public policy.” |