Foreign Affairs and Trade
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7th September, 2013 Labor Prime Ministers travelled the world but Australia’s relations with its allies and neighbours deteriorated. Labor promised big increases in foreign aid but then deferred them. Labor did not complete any of the Free Trade Agreements, leaving Australia at a trade disadvantage. Despite the best terms of trade in 140 years, Labor repeatedly broke new trade deficit records as Australian industry found itself less internationally competitive. |
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14th May, 2013 2013 BUDGET • $1.9 billion cut to foreign aid budget |
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10th October, 2012 Australia commits $150,000 towards a memorial in New York to the transatlantic slave trade which never involved Australia (Senate Estimates) |
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30th August, 2012 Two senior Australian officials, including a special envoy of the Prime Minister, attend the Non Aligned Summit in Tehran, ignoring widespread international concerns about the propaganda coup handed to the Iranian Government (Senate Estimates 18-10-12) |
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6th July, 2011 Fraud in Australia's foreign aid program has increased eightfold since 2005. 191 cases have been identified and 63 staff have been dismissed for corruption (Courier Mail) |
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25th May, 2011 Kevin Rudd visits 43 countries in his first eight months as Foreign Affairs Minister travelling 384,000 kilometres. He has been overseas for 4 days out of every 10 on the equivalent of 10 round the world trips, usually travelling first class (The Advertiser) |
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10th May, 2011 BUDGET 2011-12 • Foreign Aid to increase from 0.33% of GNI in 2010-11 to 0.5% by 2015 - $4.15 billion in 2011-12 to $6.84 billion in 2014-15. Massive increases required have been deferred until the end of the commitment. • $10.5 million over two years to continue Labor’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council with extra funding to be provided through other departmental programs • Austrade funding to decline every year until 2013-14 from $372 million to $357 million with staff numbers reduced by 30 |
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29th April, 2011 Trade Minister Emerson's effort to rally support for the completion of the Doha round of trade talks (including a letter from 12 trade ministers calling for more flexibility) falters as Eastern deadline for agreement on basic text passes with prediction the round is heading for collapse (The Australian) |
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24th March, 2011 175 cases of fraud on Australia's foreign aid program are under investigation stretching across 27 countries - 71 in PNG, 31 in Indonesia |
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11th March, 2011 Prime Minister Gillard and Foreign Minister Rudd disagree on whether a no-fly-zone should be established over Libya |
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2nd March, 2011 Defence Department spent $252 million on aid to Afghanistan over the past four years but only $37 million went to actual projects (including $6 million on military facilities) |
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6th February, 2011 Foreign Minister Rudd has spent a record 65 days overseas out of his first 110 days in the job |
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24th December, 2010 80 year old Richard Woolcott appointed by former PM Kevin Rudd to promote his ill fated Asia Pacific community candidly told U.S. the idea was devised to provide an announcable for an Asia Society speech Rudd was scheduled to make (SMH) |
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24th June, 2010 Kevin Rudd deposed as Prime Minister and replaced by Ms Julia Gillard |
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3rd June, 2010 Labor Government introduces legislation to reverse its changes to eligibility for the Export Market Development Grant scheme which had led to a cost overrun for the scheme of $30 million in 2009-10 and $80 million in 2010-11 |
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24th May, 2010 Rudd Government expels Israeli diplomat in response to Australian passport forgeries after receipt of letter from Syria demanding Australia take a more anti-Israeli stance if it wants Arab votes for the UN Security Council Seat that Kevin Rudd is seeking Almost $1 billion has been paid to just 5 consultancies as at 31-12-2009 under Australia's $4.3 billion foreign aid program 13 advisers were paid more than $300,000 each per year tax free under Australia's foreign aid program, including: Peter Kelly - paid $433,000 to supervise Vanuatu small road system John Dinsdale (former Clerk to a Melbourne Court) paid $500,000 as a law and justice adviser to PNG Susan Ferguson - paid $293,423 as gender integration adviser in PNG Nikhil Desan (of Los Angeles) - paid $746,730 over two years as energy adviser to Vanuatu Gerald Gahima (from Rwanda) - paid $757,960 for two years as justice adviser to East Timor (despite US allegations of personal debts and funding misuse before leaving Rwanda) $12.8 million paid to redevelop the only secondary school in Nauru $12.6 million to research giant pandas in China $5.5 million to the Alliance for a green revolution in Zimbabwe $307,843 to promote Australian rules football in South Africa $637,553 to the ANU to undertake a people's survey in the Solomons $150,000 for a bicycle empowerment network in Namibia 8 large Australian charities receive more than $160 million for their work |
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11th May, 2010 BUDGET The Export Market Development Grants Scheme is under funded by at least $30 million in 2009-10 and $80 million in 2010-11 Budget slashes Trade Start funding, requiring the closure of at least 18 offices — many in regional Australia |
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15th April, 2010 Oxfam claim Australian foreign aid expenditure fell by 1.4% in 2009, breaking Labor's promise to increase foreign aid |
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7th April, 2010 A record 223 coal ships delayed at ports because of inadequate infrastructure including 103 at Dalrymple Bay and Hay Point |
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19th March, 2010 The Labor Government spent $800,000 to fly 100 officials and academics to Sydney from around the world to promote Mr Rudd's idea of an Asia-Pacific Community. Food and drinks cost $60,000. Labor's special envoy for the plan, Richard Woolcott has already cost another $447,000 including $310,000 for travel and accommodation |
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11th February, 2010 Government admits the Export Market Development Scheme is at least $50 million underfunded as a result of changes made by the Rudd Government |
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29th January, 2010 In spite of the dismal failure of Labor's Grocery Watch campaign to lower prices in Australia, the Rudd Labor Government introduces legislation to give $50 million to reduce food costs in developing countries |
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9th June, 2009 The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed that discussions on the Australia-China Free Trade Agreement has stalled |
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1st April, 2009 18 out of 20 G20 nations including Australia break their promise not to increase industry protection in just 3 months |
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28th February, 2009 The Rudd Government agrees to a new ASEAN / Australian / NZ free trade agreement under which tariffs on all agricultural imports go to zero immediately while Australia continues to pay tariffs on exports including sugar, dairy, beef, rice and horticultural products |
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1st January, 2009 Australia's new free trade agreement with 12 Asian countries takes effect, granting tariff free entry into Australia to 96.4% of all imports. The Rudd Government will also provide $20 million to help Asian exporters crash into Australian markets. In return, most Australian exporters will continue to face tariff barriers on their exports to Asia |
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4th April, 2008 Australia's trade deficit hit a record $3.29 billion |
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6th March, 2008 Labor records second highest ever trade deficit of $2.723 billion |
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4th March, 2008 Australia's Current Account Deficit blows out to a record of $19.3 billion |
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6th February, 2008 Labor slashes funding for the Australia - Japan and Australia - China Free Trade Agreements |
