PENNY WONG: Look, before we get to politics can I just record again our sadness at the loss that weve seen as a result of the bushfires, our sympathy to all those who are affected and our extraordinary gratitude to the men and women who both fight the fires and in other ways help all of those in need. This has been a dreadful bushfire season to date and our thoughts go out to all affected.
But moving now to matters political, well weve seen today another broken promise from the Coalition. One of the things that Joe Hockey, Andrew Robb promised before the election was that when they cut foreign aid they werent going to take money from organisations like Care Australia , organisations like Save the Children, organisations like Caritas or many others. Well, thats another broken promise from Tony Abbott because thats what theyve done. Thats what theyve done as part of a massive cut in foreign aid of $650 million just in this financial year, $4.5 billion over the budget period. As part of that, theyve taken money from some extraordinarily helpful, extraordinarily generous, extraordinarily good community organisations, which help some of the poorest people in our regions. So yet another broken promise from Tony Abbotts Government, who werent going to touch non-government organisations. Well Care Australia, Save the Children, and many others are counting the cost today of another broken promise from Tony Abbott, happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: The Government says that your program was hap-hazard and wasteful. Isnt there need for some streamlining?
WONG: Well lets be clear, that is Julie Bishops attempt to justify a massive cut to foreign aid. Thats what it is and the reality is you know, the reality is this is money being taken from some of the poorest people in our region. And the reason Australia has always contributed to aid, the reason we have continued to grow our aid program is we recognise that we have an interest, all of us have an interest, in stronger economies, in eliminating poverty, and improving health in developing countries. Weve got an interest as a national in a more secure, stronger world.
JOURNALIST: The Government cant keep on spending so why not cut form foreign aid and keep it in the country?
WONG: Well I think my previous answer really goes to that issue. There are many children around the world who live in extraordinary poverty. If you can look at me and say thats something we should all turn a blind eye too, I dont agree with you. Now I think the reality is we all have an interest as a nation in ensuring that we lessen poverty around the world, that we improve the health of communities where we encounter some of the dreadful health epidemics we see, and that we improve peoples economics. We have an interest in that, and that it improves Australias security in the world.
JOURNALIST: Indonesia has called on Australia to suspend Operation Sovereign Borders, whats the Oppositions response to that?
WONG: Well Id say two things. First, Australias security today and in the future will always require a strong relationship with Indonesia. And what I fear, what the Opposition fears is and what I think many Australians fear, is that this Government just doesnt get that. Its prepared to risk too much when it comes to our relationship with Indonesia and it needs to work to strengthen that relationship. We have the extraordinary, extraordinary sight this week of Ministers saying one thing to the Australian people, that theyve never violated Indonesians sovereign waters only to turn around a short time later and say oops well we have. Well I think its not good enough for two reasons; its not good enough again because the Abbott Government is simply not being upfront with the Australian people but second its clearly risking the health of our relationship with Indonesia.
JOURNALIST: What damage has this incident done with our relationship with Indonesia?
WONG: Well I think you only need to look at what the Indonesians are saying, I think its self-evident and the Government really needs to fix this.
JOURNALIST: Considering boats maybe have GPS and theyre quite sophisticated, couldnt they have just strayed into these waters by mistake and, or perhaps they were just going in to turn a boat around?
WONG: Well if thats the case, perhaps the Minster could tell us that. I mean this is the problem, weve got reporters in Australia, weve got Australians getting information from the Indonesians because our own Government wont tell us whats really happening. Our own government wont tell us whats really happening so information comes from all sorts of quarters. Its time Tony Abbott became the sort of Prime Ministers he told Australians he would be. He said hed be transparent, he said hed be accountable, he should start to apply his own standards.
JOURNALIST: How angry must Indonesia be that, with Australia, to send an extra ship into the space to patrol?
WONG: Well I think the Indonesian response really confirms what the Opposition is saying, and what many Australians are fearing, that this Government just doesnt understand the importance of our relationship with Indonesia and seems willing to put it under too much strain, thats not the right way to go about it. And can I say something I think about the Foreign Minister, I mean Julie Bishops had a pretty difficult week hasnt she, shes been sent out today to try to justify cuts to foreign aid. Thats not the act of a strong Foreign Minister and this is on top of having been sent out to apologise to the Indonesians because the commitments shes given, the commitments Tony Abbot has given, have been breached by this government. Thank you. ENDS