POLITICS almost took a back seat when three Federal candidates for Mitchell took questions at a forum organised by the Make Poverty History group at Baulkham Hills.
Candidates were given three minutes to answer questions during which time, Max Collison pointed out, one baby a minute would die in agony from neonatal tetanus.
Dr Collison told the forum that since 1961 it was known the condition could be eradicated if pregnant women were vaccinated for tetanus but developed countries were not doing enough.
“Because we are so much wealthier it is possible to reduce world poverty for the first time ever,” he said.
Ten years ago 191 countries including Australia promised to halve global poverty by 2015. To achieve this, aid funding needed to be increased to 0.7 per cent of national income - Australia gave 0.34 per cent.
Liberal candidate and sitting MP Alex Hawke told the 120-strong crowd at Holy Trinity Church, Baulkham Hills, on Wednesday that he would personally push for the 0.7 per cent and had been for some time. He said the Coalition was committed to a 0.5 per cent but said: “I am willing to push my party to endorse a 0.7 per cent target. There are great challenges in making sure aid is delivered properly.”
Labor candidate Nigel Gould said technology and skills transfers were vital to helping communitiess help themselves and said his party supported the 0.7 per cent target.
Greens candidate Colin Dawson said giving less than 0.4 per cent GDP did not seem very generous and it needed to meet the target.
He said the four pillars of Greens philosophy were: social justice, sustainability, grassroots democracy and non-violence.
Other questions covered climate change and delivery foreign aid. The forum was organised by members of Baulkham Hills Baptist Chruch, Northmead Uniting Church, Holy Trinity and St Paul’s Castle Hill.
For more details of the campaign visit www.makepovertyhistory.com.au
Source: whereilive
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