Commenting on reports that the Abbott government played a role in watering down the tax responsibilities of multinationals at an international conference on foreign aid, Greens overseas aid and development spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

"Australia's move to strike out a line calling on ‘full transparency' of payments from large corporations to ‘promoting transparency' is yet another example where the Abbott government has acted out of self-interest at the expense of developing countries.

Responding to the shocking report on the activities of Australian mining companies operating in Africa, Greens overseas aid and development spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon has called for federal government assistance for the relatives of those killed and for the investigation to be reopened. (Fairfax: http://bit.ly/1SeBOlP )

Greens overseas aid spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon has accused the Abbott government of attempting to hide the impact caused by the latest $1 billion reduction in the overseas aid budget by failing to release details of the cuts.

"Foreign Minister Julie Bishop should publicly disclose what aid programs are being cut, when the cuts will occur and how the changes are being managed," Senator Rhiannon said.

Senator RHIANNON: Are you monitoring the current developments with the Export-Import Bank of the United States?

Mr Hunter : We are aware of some press and some of the developments there.

Senator RHIANNON: Have you considered the implications for export finance if the US Congress fails to vote to extend the charter of the Export-Import Bank? What do you see those implications as being?

Senator RHIANNON: Mr Varghese, I was hoping you would have this information because it would inform our deliberations today-if not, could you take it on notice. Could you provide the committee with a departmental breakdown-a table-of budget estimates for 2014-15 and 2015-16 for ODA eligible expenditure by all government departments?

Mr Varghese : That is probably already covered in what we have either on our website or in the budget document. But the chief financial officer may be able to add.

Greens spokesperson for international aid Senator Lee Rhiannon has said the Abbott government has trashed our overseas aid program with cuts totalling $11 billion since they came into office, with the bulk of the remaining aid budget directed away from programs targeting poverty alleviation.

"It is shameful that the primary purpose of aid programs under the Liberal/National government must be for Australia's national interest and not poverty reduction," Senator Rhiannon said.

Lee's opinion piece on gender and the aid program was published today.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is right to focus Australian aid on women and children, but the current cuts to the budget and the further alignment of Australian aid with our own national interest that Ms Bishop is promoting runs counter to this goal.

Commenting on the release of a landmark Médecins Sans Frontières report on the response to the Ebola epidemic, Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

“This report shows us how inadequate the response to the Ebola crisis was.

“One year on from the outbreak of the Ebola crisis, it’s clear that we do not just need our aid budget ‘saved’ from further cuts – we need it restored.

“From the beginning, the Greens called on Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop to assist the growing international response by sending a large scale on-ground team to West Africa.

The Greens will today introduce into Parliament a Bill that includes gender equality assessments with our overseas aid by linking reporting requirements for all programs with their impact on women and girls in low income countries.

“Foreign Minister Julie Bishop claims that gender equality is one of the key tenets of her approach to aid, yet she has presided over the biggest cuts to the aid budget. Minister Bishop has cut $11.7 billion in just 18 months of being in office,” said Greens spokesperson for International Aid and Development Senator Lee Rhiannon.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (12:46):

I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I table an explanatory memorandum and seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted.

The speech read as follows-