This week’s federal budget was encouraging with the Government restating its commitment to increase Australia’s overseas aid spending to 0.5% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015.

This is good news, but it’s important to remember that our aid expenditure as a percentage of GNI will still only be 50 cents out of every $100 we earn.

Not much really, and it falls well short of the internationally accepted fair share of 0.7% of GNI required if we are to do our bit to halve global poverty. Compare Australia’s aid spending to other rich nations.

Tell the Treasurer and Shadow Treasurer we should give our fair share.

The other big thing missing from the budget was a recognition of the need for additional funding (beyond the existing aid budget) to assist the world’s poorest communities in dealing with the increasing impacts of climate change.

Climate change is making the fight against poverty increasingly harder. If additional money can’t be found through measures like a Robin Hood Tax, the world’s most vulnerable communities face the prospect of increased poverty in the years to come.

TAKE ACTION: Write to the Treasurer and Shadow Treasurer urging we do our fair share

Read more on the Budget and its implications for global poverty