Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is standing by foreign aid spending amid outcry from drought-stricken farmers, politicians and local charities.
One critic, Brian Egan from charity Aussie Helpers, says he’s asked every day why so much money heads overseas, while One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has called for aid to be redirected to rural areas.
Mr Turnbull says foreign aid, which is about 0.8 per cent of the budget, is an important part of Australia’s diplomacy.
“We have been criticised for not increasing it to higher levels,” he told Mix radio in Perth on Friday.
The federal government announced $12,000 in grants for each affected farming family, as 100 per cent of NSW was this week declared impacted.
Agriculture Minister David Littlepro…
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