The Greens are again calling on all parties to work together to develop a legislative framework for Australia's overseas aid spending after the Abbott Government cut a further $3.7 billion from the aid budget as part of the MYEFO mini budget update.

"The Abbott government has taken robbing the aid budget to fund their own domestic policies to the next level of cruelty, with total cuts by his government now around the $11 billion figure," Acting Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said.

The Greens are calling on all parties to work together to develop a legislative framework for Australia's overseas aid spending to stop governments of the day from raiding the aid budget to cover their economic mismanagement.

"It is damaging for our relations with low income countries that successive Labor and Coalition governments have slashed overseas aid spending while they continue to state publicly that they support such programs" Greens overseas aid spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said.

The Greens say the Coalition government's plan for overseas aid announced today is reminiscent of the discredited aid policies of the 1980s with Australian companies set to profit at the expense of impoverished communities in the Asia Pacific region.

"Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has corporatised Australia's overseas aid program to such a degree it could cost lives, while opening the door to corrupt practices," said Greens aid spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon.

Responding to reports that the Abbott government has removed poverty alleviation as a goal of Australia’s foreign aid program, Greens international aid and development spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

 “Australia has dealt yet another savage blow to the world’s poorest by removing poverty reduction from the goals of the foreign aid budget.

 “There seems to be no limit to the Coalition’s harsh and selfish attitude towards our aid program.

Lee Rhiannon was interviewed on the 2SER show AidWorks on Wednesday 18 September.

Listen to the interview here.

Please see comment from Australian Greens spokesperson for overseas aid Senator Lee Rhiannon about Labor's economic update. 

Senator Rhiannon said: “Labor’s  claim that it will meet the target of 0.5 per cent of gross national income by 2017-18 lacks credibility, after today’s announcement to slash the aid budget by $879 million, and its numerous failures to meet previous promised targets.

“Australia has dealt another savage blow to the world’s poorest.

Greens spokesperson for overseas aid Senator Lee Rhiannon introduced into the Senate this afternoon a private members bill that would ring-fence the aid budget from further cuts and keep Australia on track to give more and better aid.

As the Greens spokesperson for international aid and development I am proud to introduce this Greens bill into the Senate to ensure that Australia pays its fair share towards alleviating global poverty.

Good aid, spent well has helped reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty by 200 million over the last 5 years. But there are still 1.2 billion people living on less than the equivalent of $2 per day. As a rich and caring country Australia has a moral duty to help bring that number of people down to zero.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (16:45): I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 1272, standing in my name for today, relating to food security.

Leave granted.

Senator RHIANNON: I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) Oxfam Australia recently released a report titled, Grow: Getting big results from small scale agriculture,

(ii) the report found that:

   (A) small-scale food producers play a critical role in global food production,