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Tuesday, 20 November 2007
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Ageing rocker Bob Geldof falls behind other preaching celebrities who are happy to tell others how to live, but not so happy to adjust their own extravagent lifestyles. As usual, the message is light on facts, big on emotion and assumes that throwing money at a problem will make it go away. His criticism does not take into account Australian private giving, nor does it address the problem of corrupt governments receiving this foreign aid. See our posting of the exceptional article 'Development is not a dirty word' for a more considered perspective on this issue.
Bob Geldof brands us as mean boomtown rats
Herald Sun, November 20, 2007
OUTSPOKEN Irish rocker Bob Geldof says Australia's foreign aid is "embarrassingly pathetic" and one of the stingiest on the planet. The former Boomtown Rats singer and Make Poverty History campaigner, in Brisbane to accept his new role as honorary ambassador for the city, described Australia's foreign aid commitment as tragic in the face of its booming economy.
Labor has pledged to boost foreign aid to 0.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product by 2015-16, up from 0.35 in 2010-11.
The Coalition has so far refused to match the policy, but Prime Minister John Howard says he will assess the country's domestic financial position before making aid commitments beyond 2010. Geldof said Australia's contribution did not match that of other developed countries.
"It's embarrassingly pathetic. In fact, it's one of the meanest in the planet," Geldof said.
"For a country that keeps boasting about its huge growth -- which is absolutely correct, you should boast and be proud of it -- (but) is 99.5 per cent not enough for you? And not only that, it's way behind the rest of the developed world."
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