Big Hearts – Budget 2021: Overseas aid stays flat
Last Thursday the Government announced Budget 2021. Our diocesan Advocacy Enabler, Kate Day, updates us on whether our calls for increased overseas aid was heeded. She told us: “This was the Government’s opportunity to stand with the world by raising overseas aid and climate finance for the next three years. Unfortunately, they did not.”
Kate says that the Government has chosen to leave overseas aid budget static as a proportion of overall spending – at less than 0.3% of GNI. Even though the budget has increased slightly in dollar terms, the majority of this is likely just unspent funding from last year being rolled forward.
“This is gravely disappointing, given the needs of our global neighbours on the frontlines of climate change and the pandemic. It is also disappointing given that thousands of New Zealanders signed petitions, wrote messages, and visited their MPs to ask for a more generous response,” Kate told us.
Despite this result, we are grateful for the mahi of all us raising our voices as part of this campaign. “With every action we take together, we are getting better at mobilising for justice,” said Kate. “We will keep taking these sorts of opportunities to stand together with our global neighbours.”
In the meantime, in the absence of a more generous government response, we can also step up as individuals to support partners such as Anglican Missions.
