Andy Semple

AusAID ‘money laundering scam’ update

I see the Greens are preparing a fresh bid to lock Australia into doubling its foreign aid budget to the tune of an extra $5.2 billion. 

The term foreign aid has been defined as “poor people in rich countries giving money to rich people in poor countries."  That’s only part of the story. The rest of the story is that foreign aid, by and large, is a ‘legal’ money laundering scam. If the money were taken directly from the taxpayers and handed to the bankers and corporations, there would be massive protests around the country.

For example,

A small clutch of private sector firms are cashing in on the foreign aid spending boom - with just three corporations securing a colossal $4.12 billion in contracts since Labor came to office.

Incidentally, AusAID as of the end of June 2012 employs 2,124 bureaucrats to write cheques to private sector firms (NGO’s aka Rent Seekers). AusAID’s estimated budget (don’t they know?) was $4.864 billion.

Source: AusAid Annual report 2011-2012

So here’s what Julia Gillard and Bob Carr have given away, of your money, in the Month of April 2013 (note the numerous rent seeking bodies and internal AusAID departments that “help” spend the money.) 

03 April, 2013: As part of the $35m Pacific Sports Partnerships program, Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council are running a four-year, $1.6 million project to hold cricket clinics in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

04 April, 2013: Under the Mine Action Strategy for the Australian Aid Program 2010-2014, Australia has met its $100 million commitment to mine action two years ahead of schedule.

Australia has committed $1.4 million from 2011-13 to support the clearance of unexploded ordnance in Palau.

… Since 1997, Australia has provided more than $275 million, making us one of the leading contributors to mine clearance efforts in the world.

05 April, 2013: In 2012, the Australia Pacific Technical College (APTC) opened its School of Health and Community Services Training Centre in Suva, Fiji. The APTC is a $152 million 2011 – 2015 funded program.

Ensuring students access quality education in Fiji via the $30 million Access to Quality Education Program (AQEP).

Market Development Facility (MDP) - Stimulating pro-poor economic growth in Fiji via a $3 million program.

The Pacific Horticulture and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA) - Helping improve Fiji’s export markets via a $16.4 million program.

Energy Summit promotes renewable energy in the Pacific. During the summit, Australia announced $3.2 million, through the World Bank, to fund the installation of solar panels in Kiribati.

08 April, 2013: Foreign Minister Senator Bob Carr has visited an Islamic (Madrasah) Indonesian school where the Australian Government has helped to improve the buildings and train officials. Senator Carr also reaffirmed Australia’s support for the National Program for Community Empowerment (PNPM), Indonesia’s flagship poverty reduction program, with an additional $99 million in funding.

Australia responds to a Solomon Islands dengue fever crisis – total aid for Solomon Islands $222.7 million.

11 April, 2013: Cook Islands gender equality plan launched - At the launch of the plan at Te Atukura grounds in Rarotonga, it was announced that AusAID will provide $3.9 million over 10 years to support activities to improve the lives of women in Cook Islands. It’s part of a wider Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development – a $320 million initiative to make a practical difference in the lives of Pacific women, their families and their communities.

12 April, 2013: Australia’s aid program to Bangladesh has grown significantly in recent years, increasing from $33 million in 2006 to more than $93 million in 2012–13. Bangladesh is now the eighth-largest bilateral recipient of Australian aid. 

16 April, 2013: AusAID committed to an ongoing structured engagement with the business community in PNG. AusAID will establish a working group with business to determine the best way to engage in the future, particularly in the areas of education, transport, ICT, and women’s empowerment. AusAID 2012/13 budget $493.2 million. Australia has invested $1,372 million in PNG’s development over the previous three years.

17 April, 2013: AusAID is contributing US$14 million to the National Water Development Program (NWDP) in Malawi.

The Advisory Board for AusAID’s Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development initiative met for the first time in Canberra on 10 April 2013. The 10 year “program” has a $320 million budget.

18 April, 2013: The AusAID – World Vision Bulawayo Water and Sanitation Response Program (BOWSER). The $10.1 million program (AusAID contributed $9.1 million and World Vision contributed $1 million) was AusAID Zimbabwe’s largest NGO-delivered water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program.

22 April, 2013: Australia is providing a further $24 million in humanitarian assistance for people affected by the deteriorating situation in Syria—bringing our total contribution to $66.5 million.

24 April, 2013: Australia’s ongoing investment in malaria control and elimination in the region is delivering results. In Myanmar, our contribution of $18.5 million to the Three Disease Fund has enabled treatment for 1.9 million cases of malaria, distribution of 700,000 long lasting insecticide treated bed nets, re-treated 1.5 million insecticide treated nets and the distribution of 2.2 million rapid diagnostic tests.

Australia strengthens leadership role in global HIV/AIDS fight - Australia is providing $25.5 million to this initiative over three years.

Australia reaffirms support for polio eradication at Global Vaccine Summit - $50 million commitment extends to 2015 and is supporting the final push to eradicate polio.

26 April, 2013: Australia and India partner to manage water for scarcity – part of the $19.2 million South and West Asia regional program.

Support for Pakistan elections - Australia’s total contribution to the Election Commission of Pakistan since 2011–12 to $7 million. Other donors to this project include the European Union, Norway, Japan, the United States and the UNDP.

Australia’s expects to provide $87.9 million in development assistance to Pakistan in 2012–13, with a focus on health, education, and agriculture and rural development.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard to co-chair the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA.) Australia will spend a further $100 million over the next four years to help reduce deaths and illness from malaria in the region.

29 April, 2013: Palau and AusAID announce new funding for removal of unexploded remnants of war - Australia’s three-year, $3 million commitment to reduce the threat of unexploded ordnance in Palau.

Australian Government launches Australia Awards African Alumni Ambassadors initiative (AAAAI) – part of the $331 million Australia Awards program.

Don't think for one second the Liberal's will make any cuts to AusAID. Julie Bishop want's to keep handing out our dough when she becomes Foreign Affairs Minister. 

 

 

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Guess What Our Indonesian Aid Helps Buy for Indonesia?

The video below illustrates the performance of Russian built Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jet fighter.

  

The red smoke coming from the wingtips is only there to demonstrate to spectators on the ground the direction the plane is actually moving through the air. Normally the smoke wouldn't be there.

When the smoke is streaming behind, the fighter is moving forward etc. When the fighter is engulfed in smoke, it means the airplane is almost stopped in mid-air. The manoeuvrability of this fighter is incredible. This fighter would be nearly impossible to defeat in a dogfight.

And Indonesia in January signed a $470 million contract with Russia to buy six Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jet fighters.

So why are we giving Indonesia aid???

 

 

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Chatting with Gary Hardgrave on 4BC Drive about Foreign Aid to Indonesia

I’m chatting with Gary Hardgrave from the 4BC Drive show about why Australia is still committed to providing Indonesia with a billion dollars in aid when they seem to be doing pretty well on their own.

You can listen here.

 

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Indonesia Expands at Robust Pace and So Does Our Foreign Aid to Them

Indonesia is shining as one of Asia's strongest emerging markets given a healthy boost in GDP growth.

  

That’s excellent news for the people of Indonesia. But I want to know why the Australian government is still committed to giving Indonesia $1 billion in foreign aid by 2016.

Indonesia is a G20 country with an annual GDP of nearly $1 trillion USD. Things are so good for Indonesia they recently just purchased 6 brand new Russian Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jet fighters for a cool $470 million.

Given how generous we are with our aid dollars and how well Indonesia is now performing economically, I sought comment from both the Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd and shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop. I initially emailed Bishop on 12^th Jan and Rudd 14^th Jan. Ms. Bishop’s office acknowledged my first email but said Ms. Bishop was on leave. Fair enough - so I waited.

So on Friday February 3^rd I decided to email both offices again for comment. At the time of submitting this post, neither the Minister nor the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs has responded.

Why is there reluctance on both the Labor and Coalition side of politics to reign in foreign aid, especially aid to Indonesia?

I can tell you why, it is just a gigantic vanity project designed to make politicians like Rudd and Bishop feel good about themselves, to permit them to strut on the international stage, posing as the saviours of the developing world.

I question the value of the aid as I’m worried that much of it is lost to corruption and bureaucracy. Bribery, kickbacks, and abuses are rife throughout Indonesian life, from the very top of the politics and commerce to the lowest levels of public administration.

And this endemic corruption has profound implications for the aid budget, because the truth is that so much of the money disappears without ever reaching the people for whom it is intended.

Aid has just ended up as a means of enriching the dishonest, while the poor continue to suffer.

I do not understand the Government's and opposition’s position on this and I don't think the Australian taxpaying public does either. 

I also happen to think it’s pretty ordinary when a taxpaying citizen (me) emails the relevant Minister and Shadow Minister with a valid concern and neither of them have the common decency and courtesy to respond.

Update 1:

Suzuki Motor Corp., the third-biggest carmaker in Indonesia, will spend 60 billion yen ($782 million) to increase capacity in the Southeast Asian nation, including setting up another factory to build engines, it said in January.

“Indonesia has good economic fundamentals,” said Davy Tuilan, a director at Suzuki’s Indonesia unit in Jakarta.

Yes Indonesia does have good economic fundamentals. No Carbon Tax. No Fair Work Australia. No ALP in government. No Green Politicians.

 

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Why are we still giving Remarkable Indonesia a Billion Dollars in aid?

I recently noted that Remarkable Indonesia just purchased 6 brand new Russian Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jet fighters for a cool $470 million and asked the valid question why is Australia squandering $500 million on a flawed aid program for Indonesian schools?

I emailed both the offices of Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd (14^th Jan) and shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop (12^th Jan) for comment. So far only Ms. Bishop’s office acknowledged my email.

I’d like to know why the Gillard government with bipartisan support from the coalition are committed to providing Remarkable Indonesia will a billion dollars in foreign aid by 2016.

 

As the video clip from the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board states, Indonesia is a G20 member with an annual GDP of nearly $1 Trillion USD.

It seems to me that Remarkable Indonesia is doing alright on its own.

 

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If you have the Money to Burn on Military Hardware you don’t Deserve or Need Foreign Aid

Indonesia has signed a $470 million contract with Russia to buy six Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jet fighters, the country’s media reported. Russian defense industry and diplomatic sources have confirmed the deal. But the Sukhoi aircraft maker and arms exporter Rosoboronexport declined to comment, RIA Novosti said on Tuesday. Deliveries will reportedly start after 2013. Indonesia’s Defense Ministry said another contract is now in progress. The country’s Air Force has six Sukhoi SU-27SKMs and four Sukhoi SU-30MK2s.

So why is Australia squandering $500 million on a flawed aid program for Indonesian schools?

Having doubled annual development assistance to Indonesia in the past five years, the Gillard government is set to double the amount again, from $450 million in 2010-11 to about $1bn by 2016.

Cool, that’s enough money for Indonesia to buy 12 Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jet fighters by 2016.

You’d also think for a billion dollars per year Indonesia could help stop the boats.

It’s not like Indonesian law enforcement officials are routinely beating the shit out of torturing Indonesian suspects and convicts to extract confessions or obtain information any more right? I mean isn't that why we give them aid? To help them?

And Kevin Rudd’s best come back to Tony Abbott’s sensible plan about this time last year is to say that the radical Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir would be thrilled with the coalition's plan to freeze $448 million in aid to Indonesian schools.

No Kevin, I think the taxpayers of Australia would be thrilled with the coalition’s plan.

 

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