Baptist Union of Australia MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

4 November 2007

Foreign aid is a significant moral issue and this should be reflected in real increases in Australia's foreign aid budget, the President of the Baptist Union of Australia, Rev Dr Ross Clifford, said today.

Baptists are often portrayed as focused only about issues related to sexuality and the beginning and end of life. The reality is that Baptists are deeply concerned and active on dozens of social and ethical issues, and eliminating poverty through aid and development programs is one of the most important.

Young people especially are committed to action to alleviate poverty. Morling College, the NSW Baptist seminary, recently held a highly successful Fair Trade Fair to raise awareness of fair trade issues and offer solutions for consumers. The most strategic and ambitious anti-poverty measure endorsed by Australian Baptists is Micah Challenge which sets the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in a Christian framework.

There is strong Baptist support for Micah Challenge and the Make Poverty History campaign aimed at halving global poverty by 2015, Dr Clifford said.

Alleviating poverty in the world's poorest regions literally saves lives and ends terrible human suffering. But this is not a political issue but a moral and humanitarian issue. Foreign aid targets should be ambitious and attract bipartisan support. Australia can afford to increase foreign aid well beyond the current level of 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income.

I welcome the personal interest taken by Mr Howard and Mr Rudd in increasing foreign aid. Mr Howard has already met with Micah Challenge spokespersons, including Rev Tim Costello, and Mr Rudd has agreed to increase foreign aid to 0.5 per cent of GNI.

There is strong community support for Australia increase foreign aid. I call on all federal political parties to commit to raising foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015. In particular I urge Mr Howard and Mr Rudd to agree on this ambitious but socially responsible goal in the lead-up to the November 24 election.

Developed countries have committed to increasing overseas aid to 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015, but Australia has reached only about half that figure. It is estimated that when Australia reaches 0.7 per cent of GNI there would be 70,000 less child deaths each year and 15,000 fewer AIDS deaths each year, and 100,000 more children receiving basic education.

I call on Australian Baptists to support Micah Challenge and Make Poverty History, and to pray earnestly that God will give our national leaders the necessary courage and wisdom to bring lasting justice to the world's poorest people and rescue them from a vicious cycle of poverty, misery and hopelessness.

We have a moral responsibility to use the abundant resources God gives us to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Increasing Australian foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015 is achievable. It is within our power to do this. The time to act is now. Mr Howard and Mr Rudd: commit to raising foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015.