Australian Greens Leader Dr Richard Di Natale joined Greens spokesperson for international aid and development Senator Lee Rhiannon today to announce the Greens plans to fund international development.

“Australia’s foreign aid budget should be 0.7% of Gross National Income, and today the Greens are proud to announce an election commitment to achieve that by 2025,” said Senator Di Natale.

In this speech, I discuss the alarming effects of climate change being experienced in Papua New Guinea. It is the obligation of Australia as a large aid donor to PNG and a former coloniser to provide more aid to PNG, and to dramatically reduce human-induced climate change. 

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (19:48):

Yesterday I met with John Salisbury, who walked from Sydney to Canbera to protest injustices in Palestine. The situation in Palestine is worsening, and Australia must call for the seige of Gaza to be lifted, and for Israeli authorities cease the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied territories.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (19:48):

In this motion, I urge the Senate to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals, which builds on the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals, as a blueprint to end extreme poverty. 

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (15:44): I, and also on behalf of Senator Bilyk, move:

That the Senate-
(a) notes that:

(i) the United Nations (UN) summit for the adoption of the post 2015 development agenda took place from 25 September to 27 September 2015;

With the world on the cusp to become polio free, the Greens have have expressed their dismay at the Australian government's cut to polio eradication funding by half.

"The Global Polio Eradication Initiative was started by an Australian in response to the worldwide tragedy that is polio," said Greens spokesperson for international aid and development Senator Lee Rhiannon.

"The complete eradication of polio is in sight. To back away from our full funding commitment to this initiative is incredibly irresponsible

Following the leaking of text from the Pacific free trade talks, the Greens are calling on the Australian government to end negotiations and undertake the necessary social and environmental impact assessments.

A draft chapter titled "Development and Economic Cooperation" from the regional free trade agreement known as PACER-Plus has been leaked by the Pacific Islands News Association.

Link: http://tinyurl.com/nvk242n

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (16:18):

The inquiry into the Greens' International Aid (Promoting Gender Equality) Bill 2015 was very useful. Some excellent information was presented to us. There were 14 submissions from non-government organisations, as well as from the department. It certainly did highlight the need for legislative change. There was a range of suggestions of how this could be taken forward.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (20:57):

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 )