Readings
OPINION Youth choose decency over tax- The Age
03/11/2007
JOHN Howard is proud of Australia's policy to end world poverty — young Australians are ashamed of it. Perhaps that is why, according to polls this week, there is a 1 million vote gap between Liberal and Labor in the youth vote for this election.
For young Australians, ending extreme poverty is a defining issue in this election and the Government's position is appalling. The widespread support and activism in the Make Poverty History campaign shows our politicians how important this issue is to young people. The Prime Minister has chosen not to listen.
Howard has demonstrated a complete inability to listen to, or connect with, the youth audience. His attempts at doing so through YouTube and Facebook are stumbling, ineffective and a touch embarrassing.
Howard may think that the issues of poverty and foreign affairs matter to individuals in bohemian inner city suburbs such as Brunswick and Fitzroy. To coin a generation Y phrase, he is so wrong. To people in rural towns across the country, these issues are important.
Seven-hundred ambassadors from Make Poverty History have travelled through 17 Australian cities and towns in every mainland state. The majority of towns were in marginal electorates, such as Ballarat and Eden-Monaro. Political inaction or ignorance on this issue has the potential to alienate an entire generation of voters, not just this month but for years.
In spite of all the competitive spending and tax cutting, Howard has failed to rise to the most important challenge of our generation. The Coalition's present commitment is 0.36 per cent of gross national income by 2010, while Labor has promised 0.5 per cent by 2015.
The Coalition has failed to display any intention to uphold its promise in 2000 to commit 0.7 per cent of gross national income to the world's poor by 2015. It is very hard to be proud of Australia's foreign aid when we rank 15th out of the 22 OECD countries. This is in the context of an economic boom. There has never been a better time to increase Australia's foreign aid and improve the lives of thousands of people living in poverty.
According to World Vision, an increase of aid to 0.5 per cent of GNI by 2015 could help save the lives of 140,000 children in poverty in our region. When the lives of 140,000 children are on the line, the choice at the ballot box is clear.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has declared poverty a global emergency and called on countries to rise to the challenge. Young people already subscribe to this idea, and it is time for our PM to join.
The Coalition's foreign aid package is dangerously behind Kevin Rudd's promises, and far behind Australia's obligation to developing countries.
Treasurer Peter Costello and Howard should make this a bipartisan issue and match the Opposition Leader's 0.5 per cent. Or better still, they should take it beyond the original promise of 0.7 per cent.
We are left with no choice but to endorse the policy of the party that is prepared to commit. And this choice may well cost the Coalition or Labor victory on November 24.
No Australians should have to choose between the life and death of a child. This is a moral issue, and should be bipartisan, irrespective of political preference.
