Ire behind the eye-roll: Julie Bishop battles to protect aid she argues is important for the nation’s future

IT made for entertaining viewing, but the real dilemma behind Julie Bishop’s exasperated emoji face is one that could come back to bite us all.

JULIE Bishop’s eye rolling exercise behind Treasurer Joe Hockey was more important than being merely a spectacular display of facial gymnastics.

The issue which stirred up the Foreign Minister early yesterday was the fate in the coming Budget of foreign aid, which she considers essential to positioning Australia globally to our benefit.

The argument in favour of foreign aid can be put simply: Spend money on health and education in other countries and their citizens will prosper and buy our stuff.

The argument against also can be terse: Our domestic problems have to be fixed first before we hand cash to ungrateful foreigners.

Ms Bishop sees foreign aid as a long-term investment. Some of her colleagues align with the Liberal Party “base” — its hard right flank — in complaining money is being spent overseas when it would be better used at home.

Can’t stand it ... Julie Bishop reacts to Joe Hockey’s speech to Parliament.

The Foreign Minister’s extensive repertoire of silent but dramatic messages — who needs words when you can send your eyes in four directions at once? — could be the start of a broader debate on the value of foreign aid.

The topic already has been highlighted by Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s mention of $1 billion in assistance to Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami, and current Australian help to Vanuatu after Cyclone Pam.

Mr Abbott was hoping the aid reference would soften the hearts of the Jakarta leadership towards two Australian drug runners facing a firing squad. When it instead roused Indonesian anger there was a view here that the money was a waste of cash and good intentions.

The Foreign Minister strongly disagrees.

The Liberal Party base jumpers won out in last year’s Budget where the biggest single cut was $11 billion to foreign aid. When a newspaper article yesterday said more cuts were on the way in this coming Budget the Foreign Minister went into action.

“So I’ll certainly be taking that up with the Treasurer to find out the source of that story,” said Ms Bishop, unable to hide her annoyance on ABC radio.

Late in the day Ms Bishop was assured her spending was safe, and it was suggested her eye contortions were in response to mention of the Expenditure Review Committee, the merciless forum where ministers have to justify their outlay proposals.

However, it can be accepted the minister was not in a happy place after having to again fight for foreign aid that morning.

No laughing matter ... Ms Bishop couldn’t hide her disdain.

Julie Bishop has been attempting to redesign Australia’s approach to aid through programs such as the New Colombo Plan which by next year will have sent 9300 young Australians to study and work overseas, and the creation of joint operations with private benefactors.

Not all aid goes towards assistance after natural disasters.

This financial year it was expected some 23 per cent would go to education; 18 per cent to improving governance and the function of economies and institutions; 16 per cent to health projects; 14 per cent to humanitarian aid; 13 per cent to infrastructure and trade; and nine per cent to general development support.

In June last year Ms Bishop made her case for aid in a speech to the National Press Club, and is sticking by it.

“This new phase is being shaped by rapid change. Aid recipient countries are transforming into aid donor countries,” said the Foreign Minister.

“Hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty through China’s economic policies. Today China — once a recipient of aid — has an aid budget around the same size as ours.

“South Korea which received around $13 billion in aid from the international community after the Second World War till early 1990s is today a significant aid donor and a key aid delivery partner with Australia.

Please explain ... Ms Bishop was unimpressed with the Treasurer’s cut to her foreign aid budget.

“That’s our aspiration for other countries in our region. As aid deliverers we should be aiming for aid recipient nations to transform into sustainable economies — do ourselves out of a job, not perpetuating past approaches that are not effective.

“Aid plays a role in economic transformation and still constitutes a major proportion of national economic inflows for many of our neighbours. However aid alone is not a panacea for reducing poverty. Today, the total of global aid funds is dwarfed by the flows of investment, remittances, and other sources of capital to developing countries.”

Originally published as Ire behind the eye-roll: Julie Bishop battles to protect aid she argues is important for the nation’s future