Federal Government creates emergency relief fund for Indo-Pacific region yet leaves our farmers and small business in regional areas to cope with predatory banks and their dodgy receivers selling off farms and closing businesses. Where is the Labor Party Opposition?
The federal government has announced it will provide a further $25 million in funding towards aid in Syria and Iraq.
The funding will be drawn out of Australia’s emergency relief fund, which is usually provided to disaster-stricken areas in the Indo-Pacific region. There is no relief fund set up by government for Australian disasters to draw from.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced the funding at the Syria Donors Conference in London on Thursday. It brings Australia’s total assistance to Iraq and Syria to $258 million since 2011.
On Tuesday, Bishop met with a small group of foreign ministers, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Syria and how they can combat the Islamic State.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull congratulates Julie Bishop for donating yet another $25m to Syria as Australian farmers and regional towns struggle to survive bank foreclosures and suicides
John Kerry likened the scenes in Syria to the aftermath of World War II, and said the situation in Syria was getting worse, not better.
In a media release on Thursday Minister Bishop said the latest additional aid funding from Australia “will support civilians affected by the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”
“In Syria, 13.5 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance. A further 4.6 million Syrians are refugees in neighbouring countries. An estimated 10 million people in Iraq also require urgent humanitarian support this year.”
The federal government will also deploy ten Australian Civilian Corps specialists to help protect Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan, working with UN and NGO partners who provide water, camps and education to those in need.
Of the $25 million in new funds, $20 million will go to Syrian aid partners and other aid groups working in the region including UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR and Australian NGOs.
Iraq will receive the remaining $5 million, including $2 million provided to the United Nations Development Programme.
The extra funding comes after the government’s foreign aid funding was cut by $1 billion in the 2015 budget and a huge $7.6 billion was cut — over five years — in the 2014 budget.
Well I guess we’re all somewhat guilty of the way our country is being run by voting these people in. As we were all warned of the way things will be by a female who was called a rasist because of her beliefs when it’s what the majority of true Australians have been thinking. The time for this country to get back to reality is getting harder by the minute if these politicians are going to keep bowing to the people of other countries and ignoring people who are the ones that put them in power, then we will kiss the way we have bye bye. WAKE UP AND TAKE NOTE OF YOUR CHOICE OF POLITICIANS.
This is why they are talking of raising our GST to 15%. To support these people. Look after our farmers and soldiers and pensioners first I say.!!!
It’s not bloody Julie Bishop or Malcolm Turnbulls money to give away! Stop patting yourselves on the back and dishing out the hard earned tax dollars to countries that don’t give a damn about Australia or Australians. Charity begins at home you lot……
They have no fear when doing wrong because they took your guns away.
Its time OUR government starts representing US the people, farmers , homeless, elderly, indigenous, small business, rural townships are ALL suffering, time to stand together and say enough is enough, time to look after all Australians first before we offer aid to any other country, time to get politicians who are in touch with the citizens, who come from the country and know what its like to struggle, time to stop paying big dollars in pensions to people who are wrecking or selling Australia off from under its people
I’m over this government just handed over money while we are told to tighten our belts,seriously there are farmers needing money to keep their farms going & in their own hands,we as a country are so far in debt but yet these idiots keep giving out money to these places,it’s bad enough they want to take in the refugees & give them money for the rest of their live & their kids while we have homeless vets & other homeless on the streets getting no help,these 2 are so far out of touch with the Australian public cause their heads are so far up the UN’s butt,to hell with everyone else & fix here 1st cause I bet if we asked for help from those countries they wouldn’t give 1cent!
Dear Government of the Day. Kindly remove your tongue from the Worlds arsehole. Then you might see the plight your own nation is in.
Our government sucks, fuck Syria and every one in it , this government wants the rest of the world to see how goodie two shoes they are by sending money to other countries, what they don’t tell the rest of the world is that they are shitting on their own country with Farmers committing suicide, going through a drought and depression and small buisness doing the same. Grow up you arseholes and look after your own first. If you can’t, you should not be in the positions you are in, you should all get off your arse and get out in the country and have a look whats going on instead of sitting in your office wondering how you can rip people off to feather your own nests, How many of you struggle? you should be ashamed of yourself. It’s about time the people of Australia woke up and spoke up where our tax money should go.
This is so wrong….. Stop this bullshit and look after the people who made this country what it is…. No more refugees!!!!
How about donating to the humanitarian needs of Australians suffering from natural disaster before those overseas . If not I vote we donate Julie Bishop and Malcolm Turnbull to the overseas cause they can go help out unpaid for as long as needed!!! In fact just keep them !
Isn’t it time we put Australia First Mr Turnbull, There are many in this country that need help more than those countries, that we should not even be on the ground with, let them look after themselves, these countries are making a mockery of other countries generosity, that money will never get to the civilians who need it , it will be sucked up by the governments of those countries and used to arm its forces, not feed the needy.