megan williams sean dorney future ideas for fast paces media in a complex world
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Future ideas for fast paced media in a complex world
Facilitator: Peter FrayPanellists: Nicole Clements, Matt Wade, Sean Dorney, Erdem Koc
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Photo: Richard Wainwright Photo: Richard Wainwright
Diverting aid fundsOn 17 December 2012, the federal government announced it would be diverting $375 million from the aid budget to pay for onshore processing of asylum seekers.
Media coverage on 18 December: • SMH - the government had “deferred or cut other foreign
projects to provide $375 million…”• The Age – the government “will divert up to $375 million”• The Australian – the government is “redirecting…
aid….sparking concerns needier people overseas will be left in the cold.”
• The Courier-Mail and The Daily Telegraph – government “slashed…the foreign aid budget under secret plans to help get its battered Budget back in the black.”
Diverting aid fundsMedia coverage on 19-20 December: • The Age and Canberra Times – Bob Carr’s office saying the
detail of which areas would be affected was still to be worked out
• The Age editorial described the decision as “a new low” and as a “sneaky money shuffle”
• The Australian reported Labor backbenchers discontent with the decision, and also a quote from a spokesman for Wayne Swan, who said labeling the redirection of funds as a reduction in ODA was inaccurate.
• The Australian also interviewed former PM Malcolm Fraser, who labelled the decision as a “total misuse of foreign aid funds”.
Diverting aid fundsLittle to no weight given in the coverage that the OECD allows for aid donors to count in-country refugee costs as ODA under its “transport and temporary sustenance” clause, for a period of 12 months.
This piece in Crikey by AID/WATCH touched on it:
“Many asylum seekers wait several years for their claims to be processed face the prospect of indefinite
detention. It is therefore likely aid will be used to fund prolonged detention – against OECD rules.”
Diverting aid fundsThe details to the diverted funding came from AusAID in a press release on 8 February 2013.
AusAID’s director-general Peter Baxter and Foreign Minister Bob Carr then appeared before the Senate Estimates Committee the following week, where it was said:• AusAID hasn’t cancelled programs, rather delayed or deferred
some;• Very small reductions across a large number of programs to
minimise the impact; and• ODA money used for similar purposes in the US, France,
Sweden, Netherlands, Norway and Canada.
Future ideas for fast paced media in a complex world
Facilitator: Peter FrayPanellists: Nicole Clements, Matt Wade, Sean Dorney, Erdem Koc