Creating a controversy, Sir Bob Geldof, a singer who helped organise Live Aid, described Australia's foreign aid budget as 'embarrassingly pathetic.' His remark was supported by Reverend Tim Costello, the World Vision Australian CEO.
Sir Geldof, in a press conference held yesterday at Brisbane, told reporters that Australia was one of the meanest country in the planet and its current foreign aid contribution of 0.3 percent of GDP
was a disgrace.
"It's embarrassingly pathetic - in fact, it's one of the meanest on the planet," Sir Geldof said.
Reverend Costello backed Sir Geldof statement and said the country was not on track to meet its promise of giving 0.5 percent
of the nation's GDP in foreign aid by 2010.
In a written piece posted up on the local World Vision site, Reverend Costello wrote the overall level of government aid was 'languishing badly' and it is currently ranked at 15 out of 22 in term of overseas aid spending by the developed nation.
Recently, a joint-statement was issued by Australian church leaders calling the nation to pray in this upcoming Sunday for the poor. In the statement, it urged the nation to reflect on the importance of foreign aid.