The Rudd Government has cast a pall of uncertainty over the foreign aid program with more policy on the run, sleight of hand accounting and a lack of disclosure.
The Economic Statement released today includes an additional $420 million over four years for PNG, to be funded from the existing AusAID Budget, yet there is no detail about whether this will require cuts or deferrals to other programs within AusAID.
Promised increases in the foreign aid budget have been also been deferred, with $878.5 million of forecast increases pushed out in the forward estimates into 2017/18.
It will require a massive and unprecedented increase in the foreign aid budget of more than $2 billion in 2017/18 to reach its commitment of an aid budget equivalent to 0.5% of Gross National Income by 2017/18.