Mr Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs/Mr Robert McClelland, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.

We watched Tim Costello’s address to the National Press Club today.

We were very impressed with his address and very concerned about many of the matters that he raised.

We are deeply disappointed although at the time John Gorton was Prime Minister of the Australian Government (we refuse to speak of the Gorton Government or the Howard Government or even a potential Rudd Government!) Australia was the world leader in international aid whereas today we have fallen to 15th (18th last year).

We are thrilled to hear that individual Australians are very generous but disturbed to hear that our individual generosity far outstrips our national generosity.

We are pleased that the Labor Party has pledged to raise international aid to 0.5%.  Mr McClelland, we urge you to change this policy to 0.7%.  We are concerned that Australia has not committed to the 0.7% at any future date.

Mr Downer, we urge you to review the policy of the Liberal Party, to commit to the goal of 0.7%, and to consider matching at least Spain’s goal of 2012.

We agree with the 62% of Australians (according to the World Vision survey) who believe Australia should be a world leader in international aid.

We urge you both to consider very carefully all the issues raised in Island Nation or Global Citizen?

Yours sincerely

Neil & Margaret Holm