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| Investigator examines the crime scene after Ahmadiyya attacks |
Source/Credit: The Daily Telegraph
By Adam Gartrell | February 09, 2011
THE federal opposition's plan to shelve $448 million in aid to Indonesia has come under heavy fire.
The coalition says it would defer AusAID's Australia-Indonesia Education Partnership to help pay for natural disaster reconstruction.
An extension of a flagship Howard government aid program, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the partnership during her first visit to Indonesia in November.
The partnership aims to build 2000 schools - providing places for more than 300,000 secondary students - in Indonesia's poorest and most remote areas.
It also aims to upgrade the curriculum of 1500 Islamic schools in an effort to counter the influence of religious extremism.
Former foreign minister Alexander Downer billed the original program as an "incredibly important" way to battle terrorism in Indonesia.
But Mr Abbott said the program should not have been extended without a proper review of its effectiveness.
The deferral may be reconsidered if a review found it was highly valuable, he said.
"But with so many schools destroyed or damaged in Australia, we do think that charity begins at home," he told reporters.
But Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said the program was developed after 14 months of widespread consultation and expert advice, including from the World Bank.
"Education helps fight extremism and terrorism and the former coalition government clearly understood this," a spokesperson for Mr Rudd said.
"We have simply built on this understanding."
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the coalition proposal was "staggering".
"I would hate for the opposition to lead us into political terrain where every time a new demand is made on the federal budget, there's talk of slashing foreign aid and assistance," she said.
ActionAid Australia chief executive Archie Law said the proposal was "morally bankrupt".
"Australia's foreign aid not only saves lives, but restores hope and dignity to people on a daily basis," Mr Law said.
"It's the last budget item any responsible government should consider cutting."
UNICEF Australia said the decision posed real long-term risks for Indonesia's development.
The Australia Indonesia Business Council said the move would undermine Indonesia's skills development and have an adverse impact on Australian companies seeking to invest there.
The coalition's announcement came after foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop convinced the party to abandon a plan to cut aid to Africa.
Read original post here: Australia: Coalition plan to cut foreign aid slammed
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