Interview on the 7PM Project

Subjects: Australia’s overseas aid, Live cattle exports, visit to Indonesia.

Transcript, E&OE, proof only

6 July 2011

CARRIE BICKMORE: We're about to talk to Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd and, as we just heard, the cattle ban to Indonesia has just been lifted and we will ask him about that.

But the other big news today is that we're about to almost double the amount of money we spend on overseas aid.

When disaster strikes, Australians dig deep. But each and every year the government also spends billions of dollars on ongoing international aid.

That $4.8 billion program has been under a microscope. And after the release of the overwhelmingly positive review, Kevin Rudd says we're on track.

[File excerpt]

KEVIN RUDD: We, as Australians are a practical mob. It's not just the headlines we are interested in. It is what difference we are making on the ground for the lives of those currently suffering the degradation of poverty.

[End excerpt]

CARRIE BICKMORE: Today though a shadow has been cast over the good news, with the reports fraud within the government agency AusAID is at an all time high. Not quite the headlines Rudd was after.

Australia is set to bump up spending to about $9 billion over the next four years.

Roughly half will be spent across the Asia Pacific region on education, health, water and sanitation; the most basic of human rights.

Now, nine billion is a lot of taxpayer dollars so is there a way to make sure our money is well spent but also meet our obligation to be good global citizens.

And Kevin Rudd joins us on the program again.

Kevin, AusAID has reported record high fraud levels. Doesn't exactly build confidence that you guys know what you're doing.

KEVIN RUDD: Well, let's just be very clear about what all this means.

For every $1000 that we invest in development around the world, reducing poverty, improving health or enabling kids to go to school, out of that 1000 bucks, 21 cents is at risk from fraud.

That's the last financial year '10-'11. So it's — if you put it in percentage terms, it's 0.021 per cent.

Now, this is one of the lowest rates in the world given that we are operating in a whole bunch of countries where, frankly, corruption is often high but that shouldn't prevent you from helping people out of poverty.

KRIS SMITH: Kevin, some people are saying that there's plenty of things here in Oz for the money to be spent on. So why is it over the next few years you're almost doubling foreign aid?

KEVIN RUDD: I think the first thing to say is that when we're talking about foreign aid, we're talking about how we Australians feel about a fair go for people at home and around the world.

And you've got 1.4 billion people out there, about one in five people in the human family, who are living on less than $1.25 or $2 a day.

That's a big problem.

The second point is this. If we do something practical in our own region, through our aid program to reduce poverty, what happens is this: you increase political stability in those countries and you make them more prosperous.

What does that mean? If conditions are stable and prosperous in their homes, it means they are much less likely to then exit their countries and try and settle all over the world through unorganised or unauthorised people movements.

So it's in our interest to have a stable and prosperous region and therefore that's where our aid program comes into being.

CARRIE BICKMORE: Now, Kevin, let's get back to the breaking news tonight, the cattle ban being lifted. What does this mean? I mean, this seems like a pretty quick turnaround. Five weeks here this has been going on for, that's all.

So does this mean you guys can guarantee that the Indonesian abattoirs are now all A-okay?

KEVIN RUDD: Well, the Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig has been working really hard on this, and a few of the rest of us have been talking to our counterparts in Indonesia all the way through as well. I'm headed there tomorrow night myself.

The key thing is this: the Agriculture Minister has only reopened the possibility of export from Australia on the basis that our friends in Indonesia have confirmed their acceptance of international standards; that, secondly, that this enables us to track Australian animals all the way through what is called the supply chain; and, thirdly, that we have an auditor, independent auditor, certifying that the standards in these abattoirs that would be used are up to international standards.

They are the three conditions that we've set up. They've been agreed between ourselves and the Indonesians. That's why the Agriculture Minister has announced this lifting of the suspension tonight.

Of course the next step is for the Indonesians to, themselves, issue fresh import permits to take Australian beef again in the future.

ANDREW ROCHFORD: Minister, I'm sure you can still understand people would be surprised at just how quick this has happened. You were planning on heading over to Indonesia. Are you still heading over there?

Are you actually going to be inspecting these abattoirs, speaking to the government, and guaranteeing us that our cattle are going somewhere where they're going to be treated the way they should?

KEVIN RUDD: Well, I'm — as Foreign Minister I've got a whole bunch of things that I talk to the Indonesians about on a regular basis, one of which is preparing for a major summit later this year with all of the major countries around the region.

But the second is this: I'll also be reviewing where we've got to in the implementation of the agreement which the Agriculture Minister has announced tonight, because what we want are proper international animal welfare standards. But also, for all those families across northern Australia who depend on this trade, and there are tens of thousands of them, to get this back to work as quickly as possible based on those humane standards.

DAVE HUGHES: That sounds good Kevin, but on a lighter note, mate, I need to ask you about the shenanigans you've been getting up to with foreign ministers around the world.

This — I want to show you… this was you on Lateline a couple of nights ago. Just watch this, Kevin.

[File excerpt from ABC Lateline]

KEVIN RUDD: If you sit down with the foreign minister of another country, and you have a full and formal bilateral with him, it's not just over a cup of tea in the corner… I also had a very good bilateral with the Malaysian foreign minister as well.

ALI MOORE: Indeed you did. There are photographs on your website.

[End excerpt]

DAVE HUGHES: Has your wife seen those photos? What did you think of it, Kevin?

KEVIN RUDD: Hughesy, I don't want to confirm or deny on public television any of that sort of stuff.

It's family viewing and I just don't want to go there.

CARRIE BICKMORE: I'm sure you've got a few busy days ahead so we'll let you go, but thanks for your time tonight.

KEVIN RUDD: Thanks Hughesy, thanks team.

END

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